Watch: Playing only his second Twenty20 match, Josh Brown had faced a solitary ball in the first two overs but raced to fifty inside the powerplay. He hit four fours and six sixes during his 23-ball 62.

Across formats – first-class, List A, or Twenty20 – Brown had played exactly one match by the time he turned 29 this Boxing Day. If that sounds like a late start, it is probably because he did not know he was “any good at cricket” until he was “about 24”.

He had been playing for the Queensland Second XI until Brisbane Heat signed him up. Playing in Cairns for the Heat on December 15, he held a brilliant catch to dismiss Melbourne Renegades wicketkeeper Sam Harper – the first wicket of the match – off James Bazley. He opened batting for the Heat later in the day, and hit Mujeeb Ur Rahman over cover for six off the sixth ball he faced. He then went after Akeal Hosein, but was caught when he mistimed the slog.

The match against the Sydney Sixers at the Gabba was, thus, only the second professional match of his career. He watched Ben Dwarshuis concede 10 and remove Colin Munro in the first over. He ran a single off the first ball of the second, bowled by Jackson Bird, and did not get the strike back. After two overs, the Heat were 17-1, and Brown had faced one ball. Then he went ballistic.

Back on strike, Brown lofted Dwarshuis for two sixes over mid-wicket in the space of three balls. At the other end, he cut Bird for four, then hammered him over extra-cover for his third six. In the next over, he greeted Hayden Kerr with four past fine-leg, six over mid-wicket, and six over long-off. Izharulhaq Naveed was next in firing line, and Brown hit him to the extra-cover boundary to bring up his maiden fifty – off 19 balls, inside the powerplay, having faced a solitary ball after two overs.

He then casually flicked Sean Abbott for six more, and hit the next ball to the mid-wicket fence for four. Abbott had his revenge with the ball that followed – but it was more of a fielder’s wicket, for Dwarshuis ran a long distance, then dived, to come up with a brilliant catch on the extra-cover fence.

Following the innings was Hosein, who did not miss out on the opportunity of reminding the world that he had indeed been the first to dismiss Brown. Shortly after the innings, Brown was interviewed by Kirby Short of Fox – who used to be his PE teacher in school.

His blitz left many stunned, including Glenn Maxwell – no stranger to extraordinary hitting himself – watching on from the commentary box.

It was only the seventh over of the innings, and the Heat were already 85. They finished on 224-5, largely due to Brown and a 51-ball 84 from Nathan McSweeney.

Watch a collection of Josh Brown’s sixes here:

That is CRISPY hitting from Josh Brown! #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/p6fZsiLeCu

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 1, 2023

Offfttttt. Josh Brown goes down town! 💥💪 #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/S3WOkxiLXp

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 1, 2023

This is ELITE hitting from Josh Brown! Outstanding! #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/peITPesbk0

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 1, 2023

Watch Glenn Maxwell’s reactions below:

The reactions from @Gmaxi_32 watching Josh Brown 😂 #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/vqmJ5MmNeg

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 1, 2023