The Konstas Effect: Starstruck cricket fan finally reaps reward after car crash blunder

  • Sam Konstas promises signed merchandise as photo goes wrong
  • BBL side Sydney Thunder release video of incident at Cricket Central

Cricket sensation Sam Konstas has promised signed merchandise for the fan who accidentally crashed his car trying to meet him. Konstas’ Big Bash League club the Sydney Thunder uploaded a now-viral security video titled “The Konstas Effect” of the teen Test opener arriving at Cricket Central for training on Wednesday morning.

Moments after Konstas walks across camera, a four-wheel drive pulls into the car park, its driver emerging and running after Konstas – only to sprint back to his car on realising he had forgotten to engage the hand brake. The man slips over in his haste and does not arrive at the car before it crashes into another vehicle.

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The last Big Thing: why next men’s Ashes may be the longest form’s long goodbye

The red-ball series against Australia, 10 Test-starved months from now, lurks potently – and with good reason

“Aw look, the Ashes is a long, long way away.” Is it, though? Is it, really? Ben Duckett hit all the right notes on Channel 7’s Big Bash coverage in the past week, speaking after his Green Team had beaten their Red Team local rivals at a beautifully sun-dappled Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Duckett clearly loves being in Australia. It suits him. The clipped cod-antipodean go-well-mate style. Beard, glasses, salt-stained nylon cap, the iconography of the alpha franchise dude. At that moment his scores for the Melbourne Stars this season read: 0, 68, 67, 0, 67, 20, which is also deeply in character. Go hard. Go home. Whichever. It’s a vibe, babes.

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