Meet the Scotland seamer who took the 'greatest catch of all time'
Brad Currie’s boundary grab for Sussex has had multi-million views on social media. Now he’s leading Scotland’s attack in a World Cup
Matt Roller03-Jun-2024It was the catch that stunned the cricketing world. The standard of boundary fielding has risen exponentially in the T20 era but last June, Brad Currie’s diving effort set a new benchmark. It immediately went viral: Ben Stokes – who has taken a few screamers in his time – described it as “filth”.Currie, a left-arm swing bowler, had taken 3 for 27 on his T20 debut for Sussex but Hampshire were taking the game deep. They needed 23 off the last 11 balls; when Benny Howell swung Tymal Mills out to square leg, it looked a certain six. Enter Currie, who sprinted to his left, flung himself in the air at full stretch, and somehow plucked the ball out of the night sky.”It was a crazy experience,” Currie tells ESPNcricinfo. “The way social media just blows up over it, it’s pretty mental. I’ve got a decent set of hands and I prefer fielding on the boundary when I can get set more. I track the ball quite nicely and I’m quite quick across the ground.” He jokes: “In front of the boys, I’d probably say I’m the best fielder ever; in an interview, I’ll be a bit more modest.”
STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING
BRAD CURRIE HAS JUST TAKEN THE BEST CATCH OF ALL TIME #Blast23 pic.twitter.com/9tQTYmWxWI
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) June 16, 2023
Currie’s effort has 5 million views on X/Twitter, and 12 million on Facebook. Search ‘best cricket catch ever’ in YouTube Shorts and it is the top result, with over 13 million views. “I’d be lying if I said I’ve not dipped into some of the numbers,” he says. “They’re incomprehensible. I just think, ’13 million?!'”Currie looked almost bemused when celebrating the catch: “I was actually in so much pain after I landed from the fall… It’ll be a lifelong memory, I suppose. The boys still give me a bit of chat for it: ‘It’s been a month since you reposted it, Brad’. You do get a real adrenaline rush or high off it. Hopefully, I can recreate a moment like that out here.”By that, Currie means in the Caribbean, where he is playing in his first major ICC event for Scotland at the T20 World Cup. He grew up in Dorset and has a distinct south-west accent, but is half-Scottish through his father’s side of the family and made his T20I debut at the European Qualifier for this World Cup last summer.”Shamefully, I’ve never worn a kilt,” he admits. “I don’t think I could pull it off, to be fair. We would holiday up to Scotland quite a lot as kids and I’d be like, ‘you guys talk a bit funny, but you are pretty cool’. We used to see Irn-Bru in the fridge, that sort of thing. But there’s a great amount of pride in it, and it was never a difficult decision to represent Scotland.”Currie says that Scotland’s “underdog” status rings true with his own career, after a circuitous journey to his first professional contract. He was hardened by “back-garden battles” with his younger brother Scott; the two brothers played together in three ODIs earlier this year, though Scott will be with Hampshire’s Blast squad during the World Cup.Brad Currie, a safe pair of hands for Scotland•Getty ImagesHe played minor counties cricket for Dorset and second-team cricket for seven different counties; the seventh, Sussex, eventually signed him in 2022. “I’ve had more second XI trials than hot dinners,” Currie says. “My path was definitely not as the crow flies: there was an A to B to C to D before I got here, but I’ve spoken to guys that have had similar journeys and it builds your character. Trust me, it would have been nice to go from an academy straight onto a deal, but it gives you a stronger standing to deal with setbacks.”Currie was learning on his feet in Sussex’s T20 side last year, but his lack of pace – he is a medium-paced swing bowler – was a point of difference. “Mills, Nathan McAndrew, George Garton as a bowling attack was pretty lethal: they were breaking the speed of light, and I was just there with the keeper up. I enjoyed the challenge of it all – almost bringing a unique factor to the team.”While some Scotland players are unavailable for the World Cup due to their county commitments, Sussex’s coach Paul Farbrace actively encouraged Currie to play. “He sees this as a good opportunity for me to progress my game, learn, and actually come back as a better player,” he says, then jokes: “I’ll head back for the rest of the Blast once we’ve finished lifting the trophy here.”Related
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That would be an even more remarkable outcome than Currie’s success playing fantasy football. In the Premier League’s official game, he ranked 6,000th out of 10 million players in 2023-24; two years ago, he was 1,000th. “You should see my spreadsheets,” he says, laughing. “I take it pretty seriously. People joke that it’s my first job, and cricket’s my second.”In Scotland’s opening match, he could line up against his county team-mate Jofra Archer. “We pass each other in the nets sometimes at Sussex. He’s like, ‘Hey Scotland, I’m coming after you’… a few shots have been fired. I’ve seen him milling around the pool at the hotel and I’m sure we’ll have a nice warm embrace on Tuesday, but as soon as that first ball goes down, it’s gone from team-mates to enemies for a couple of hours.”Currie has a superb T20I record – 19 wickets at 10.15, with an economy rate below five – but will come under pressure if he opens the bowling to Jos Buttler and Phil Salt. “You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t find that a little bit daunting,” he says. “I was going through their team yesterday in the analysis pack and it is pretty star-studded.”But I see it as an absolute free hit: we’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m not too nervous for it. I’m just looking forward to seeing how I go personally, and to really challenge myself.”