Brisbane Heat all-rounder Ben Cutting left the field with blood streaming from his face on Thursday night after he copped a ball to the nose while attempting a high catch against Melbourne Renegades at the Gabba.
Renegades batsman Marcus Harris – back from Test duty – skied a hoick to the leg side early in his innings and it seemed certain he would be out.
Cutting ran around to take the simple catch but was perhaps distracted by nearby teammate Mujeeb ur Rahman, with the ball bursting through his hands and smashing into his head.
Watch below.
Ben Cutting decided to catch the high ball with his face... #Bigbash #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/pcKoGQbQHJ
— Global Cricketer (@GlobalCricketer) 10 January 2019
It initially seemed that Cutting had managed to wrangle in the ball after being hit, however Harris was given not out after umpires decided Cutting didn't have control for long enough to constitute a dismissal.
Cutting required five stitches straight between the eyes but was cleared of a concussion.
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After being attended to in the changerooms, he soon appeared on the sidelines with a broad smile.
He then returned to the field and bowled, producing figures of 0/23 from two overs.
Harris failed to make the most of his second life, bowled by Mujeeb for 28 off 18 balls.
But he saw the light side of Cutting's drop.
"I'll have to thank him later for doing that," Harris said on Fox Cricket.
"It hit him pretty hard, he looked pretty rattled ... Hopefully he's alright."
Cutting had earlier blasted 20 off 10 balls including a huge six as the Heat made 8/144 in their innings.
The sound of this off Ben Cutting's bat!
— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 10, 2019
Right up on the top deck of the Gabba #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/8DiquIvDuQ
The Renegades ended up claiming a cruisy eight-wicket win, led by Sam Harper who scored 56 not out.