New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell has met the woman whose pint of cider he spilled when he smashed a Jack Leach ball for six runs in the second Test against England at Trent Bridge - and it landed in the fan’s drink.
During the 56th over of the Test, Mitchell advanced down the pitch and struck Leach straight back over his head for six, with the moment receiving a fine reaction from the crowd. Unfortunately for one supporter, the action was a little too close to home as the ball landed straight in their pint.
When the moment was spotted on replays, laughter could be heard from the Sky Sports commentary box. Nasser Hussain joked: “What does the local beer do to Duke's ball do we know?”
In a video posted by the official Black Caps Twitter account, Mitchell met Susan Friday, the England cricket fan whose beer he spilled. He apologised to her and asked if her pint was replaced for free, which she confirmed it was.
“You have got to catch it next time with your hands instead of with your beer!” Mitchell joked. Susan was unconvinced such an outcome was possible.
“Well it just went straight in, I didn’t really have time to think!” Susan declared as she defended herself. “It just went straight into the pint.”
The news that Susan received several free pints in the aftermath of the unfortunate incident came after Michael Atherton suggested she would not be happy with Mitchell given how expensive pints are at sporting venues. England seamer Matthew Potts was fielding on the boundary and could be seen gesturing to his teammates to explain what happened, which both Hussain and Atherton found amusing.
On commentary for BBC Test Match Special, former England spinner Phil Tufnell joked: “That's rude! Come on Jack, keep him quiet. This is costing people a fortune in beer in the stands!”
England fans group the Barmy Army revealed that New Zealand had provided the fan with a replacement pint, while the group themselves had also purchased a pint for Susan.
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In the previous Test at Lord’s, Mitchell struck a sensational hundred as he scored 108 in the second innings. It was just the second Test century of his career and appeared to put New Zealand in the driving seat to go 1-0 up in the series.
However, Joe Root scored a century himself to lead England to the win, which they secured by five wickets. Despite the result, Mitchell confirmed his century is something he will ‘savour forever’ as New Zealand put up 318-4 ahead of Saturday's play.
In an interview with the Telegraph , Mitchell said: “I’ll cherish that for the rest of my life. I've got a pic with my family that we'll frame.
“My place in the dressing room was just under the honours board with some of the greats of the game. I don't think I deserve to be there with them. But it's something I'll savour forever.”
