West Indies star Carlos Brathwaite had a day to forget after making his debut for Birmingham & District Premier League side Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club.
Brathwaite, who memorably guided the West Indies to victory in the 2016 T20 World Cup with a brutal final over assault on Ben Stokes, is set to captain Birmingham Bears in this year's T20 Blast. And with the competition getting underway next month, the all-rounder is taking the opportunity to get in some game time with Knowle and Dorridge first as he returns from a shoulder injury which forced him to undergo surgery.
Over the Easter weekend, Brathwaite debuted for the club in a 50-over match against Leamington Cricket Club. However, things could not have gone much worse for the 33-year-old.
While bowling for the first time in six months due to his injury, Brathwaite was unable to pick up a wicket and conceded 31 runs from his four overs, making him the most expensive Knowle and Dorridge bowler. He then holed out for a first ball duck while batting as his side lost the match by 12 runs.
Brathwaite later tweeted about the match, revealing that his car had also been stolen. "What a day yesterday," he wrote.
"First time bowling in a game after injury for six months - First ball duck from a long hop - Car stolen But you know what, woke up this morning, Sun is shining and giving thanks. Happy Easter to all".
Brathwaite was named Birmingham Bears skipper after a successful stint as an overseas player last year. He was the club's leading wicket taker with 18 at an average of 17.61 and also scored 183 runs at a strike rate of 150.
"Edgbaston is a very special place to play at and it was great to get a taste of the atmosphere last year," Brathwaite said. "Hopefully we can welcome thousands more fans to get the Eric Hollies Stand rocking next year and make Edgbaston the real fortress for the Bears which it's renowned for."
"Carlos gets exactly what we are trying to achieve in T20 cricket," director of cricket Paul Farbrace added. "We want to play brave and entertaining cricket, that gets the crowd excited, and there's never a dull moment with Carlos with either bat or ball in his hand. He's a match winner."
