Two New Zealand domestic players combined to take an astonishing relay catch on the boundary during a Super Smash 2023/24 game between Wellington and Central Districts at the Basin Reserve.

In the second innings of the game with Central Districts chasing 148, the visitors were going well with Black Caps top order batter Will Young and Jack Boyle at the crease. Off the second delivery of the sixth over, delivered by Michael Seddon, Young played a lofted straight drive that initially looked to be sailing safely towards the boundary.

The trajectory of the ball was probably slightly more aerial than Young intended, allowing mid-on fielder Troy Johnson the time to hurtle towards the ball, dive over the rope and acrobatically retrieve it back into the playing area.

Johnson was chased to the boundary with his teammate and captain Nick Kelly in hot pursuit as well, so when Johnson hurled the ball back into play Kelly was available to take the catch. The pair completed what instantly goes down as one of the most extraordinary pieces of fielding in the modern game.

While it was the most memorable piece of action from the fixture, Kelly and Johnson, who are both uncapped, ended up on the losing side. Boyle would later pass 50 before New Zealand international Doug Bracewell rounded off the chase with an unbeaten 30 off just 11 deliveries. Despite that result, Wellington remain top of the table with only eight round robin fixtures remaining.

Young’s dismissal came on the same day as the 31-year-old was added to New Zealand’s squad for their T20I series against Pakistan as cover for the injured Josh Clarkson.

You can watch Troy Johnson and Nick Kelly combine for a spectacular boundary catch below:

 

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A post shared by Dream11 Super Smash (@supersmashnz)

A totally ridiculous relay catch on the boundary.pic.twitter.com/61pZZQcVk3

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 13, 2024

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