Watch: ‘Watch the smirk’ – Alex Hales gets smashed in groin by Spencer Johnson delivery

Watch: Alex Hales was once again hit in the groin while batting, this time falling victim to a well-aimed Spencer Johnson delivery which knocked the opener off his feet in pain.

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Opening the batting for Sydney Thunder in the BBL against Brisbane Heat, Hales faced up to a delivery from Johnson. The ball came at him over the wicket from the left-armer, and it nipped back in off the surface. Hales attempted to slog the ball into the leg side but missed, allowing the ball to smash into his groin.

He immediately shouted out in pain as the ball made impact, and fell to the ground on all fours, clearly in discomfort. Johnson ran over to Hales in his follow-through to check he was okay, smiling down at the batter on the floor before returning to his mark.

Hales then rolled over on his back and remained on the floor for some time waiting for the pain to subside. He eventually was able to get to his feet and continue batting, making 28 before he was dismissed by Matt Kuhnemann.

It’s not the first time Hales has been hit in the sensitive area while batting in a franchise league. In the inaugural edition of the Hundred in 2023, Hales was batting for Trent Rockets when he was struck in the region twice in consecutive deliveries by Reece Topley. The incident generated significant reaction at the time.

Sydney Thunder went on to fall short in their chase against Brisbane Heat by 15 runs, falling to 157-9 off their 20 overs.