The battle between Glenn Maxwell and South Africa batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius turned out to be quite an exciting one. Maxwell bowled seven deliveries to the teenager, in which almost everything happened.
A six, a dropped catch and a bizarre run out. Pretorius scored nine off Maxwell and eventually fell to the Aussie, but not before providing some entertainment. Maxwell opened the bowling for Australia after captain Mitchell Marsh opted to field in the 2nd T20I at Darwin, but it wasn’t until the fifth over that the face-off unfolded.
After starting with a dot ball against Pretorius, Maxwell almost had his man, as the batter gave himself some room and tried to sweep the ball over the infield. Australia, having dismissed Ryan Rickelton, could have had a second wicket, but Adam Zampa put down a sitter. This was Zampa’s second drop catch of the series, having spilt a chance in the previous ODI 48 hours ago. The effort did not please Maxwell at all, and rightly so.
“That is one fielder you don’t want a high ball to go to, Adam Zampa,” Mark Waugh said on commentary. “With all due respect, throughout his career, he is a wonderful bowler, but his fielding isn’t. Quite honestly, you always had your money on the ball there. He drops too many of them for my liking.”
Enjoying his lifeline, Pretorius did not hold back. The very next ball, he smoked Maxwell for a gigantic six, which saw the ball land on one of the roofs. That, however, was the last offence Pretorius could land. Maxwell dismissed Aiden Markram two balls later, but his sweet revenge over Pretorius needed to wait another over. After two dot balls, Maxwell sensed that something had to give and darted a ball rather quicker at the batter. Pretorious chipped down the wicket, played the ball, but it rolled onto the pads and behind him, allowing Alex Carey to do the rest. So outside the crease was Pretorius that he didn’t even attempt to come back.
Glenn Maxwell’s ferocious send-off
And Maxwell… boy oh boy. Was he psyched or what? Maxwell hurled a mouthful at Pretorius, giving him a bit of a send-off, as Australia celebrated their third wicket of the innings. “He just stopped and waited, Pretorius. Made no effort to get back. And Maxwell lets him know about it. Pretorious just turned and was pretty much done,” said one of the commentators.
Waugh added, “I think that was very casual. He gave up; knew he was too far down. He saw that and just froze. Thinking he was done. Had to try and commit to get back, you think.”