Catch a million, if you can

Chaos around the boundaries of New Zealand’s finest cricketing grounds is set to return with the revival of Tui’s Catch A Million promotion.

The brewery has announced the competition is back after a two-year break since the 2015 World Cup.

It involves fans, over the age of 18, wearing a gaudy orange Tui T-shirt trying to make a clean, one-handed catch of sixes hit during Black Caps’ one-day and T20 matches this summer.

The first fan to do so at a game will win $50,000, meaning a total prize pool of $1,150,000 across the 23 limited-overs matches against the West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and England this summer. However, that much will be given out only if a one-handed catch is taken at every game as the prizemoney does not roll over if a catch is not taken at a game.

The prizemoney is half of what was on offer in the past, with the winners in 2015 snagging $100,000 each. A total of $950,000 has been won by nine catchers in the promotion’s history.

The first chance for people to win will be at the Black Caps’ ODI against the West Indies in Whangarei on December 20.

Wellington first-class cricketer Ollie Newton famously let a chance at $100,000 slip him by in 2014 when making a one-handed grab at Westpac Stadium while wearing a business suit instead of the promotional T-shirt.