The T20 Super Smash saw an unbelievable piece of athleticism at the Basin Reserve last Saturday when Wellington Firebirds’ Troy Johnson pulled off a catch that was never within his reach and the hit from Central Stags’ opener Will Young had a boundary written all over it. But Johnson’s effort converted it into a wicket out of nowhere.
Johnson was positioned at mid-on when an aerial straight drive from Young looked to be sailing close to the boundary ropes, but Johnson turned and ran looking up at the ball to ultimately catch it with a desperate lunge that was almost unimaginable.
The momentum of Johnson’s run meant that he would invariably end up touching and crossing the rope with the ball in hand. However, with his athleticism, combined with his presence of mind, he managed to throw the ball back over his shoulder in an awkward position to not just keep it in play but also fling it high enough to allow teammate Nick Kelly to complete the relay catch.

The decision was reviewed by the on-field umpires and replays showed that the 26-year-old Johnson hadn’t touched the rope before throwing the ball back in the field.
But the stunning effort didn’t prove enough as Wellington went on to lose to Central, who chased down the 148-run target to win by six wickets.