The Big Bash League are always looking for new ways to bring some razzle dazzle to cricket, but fans weren't so sure about their latest idea.
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On the opening night of the 13th Big Bash League (BBL) season, organisers pulled out all the stops to entertain fans before Brisbane Heat and the Melbourne Renegades even stepped foot on The Gabba.
If Rocket Man flying around the ground with a jetpack wasn't enough, there was also a BBL mascot race to fire up the 20,315 supporters in attendance in Brisbane.
Then before singer Amy Shark did the customary bat flip (the Twenty20 league's version of a coin toss), she debuted the newest feature of the BBL - the celebrity first bowl.
Taking a page from baseball's pre-game ceremonial first pitch, where a celebrity or politician takes to the mound to throw to a catcher waiting at home base, this was cricket's version, shamelessly copying the custom born in the US in 1890.
Shark bravely ran up and had a bowl like a good sport, but it was far from a perfect delivery, drawing fans online to make comparisons to former prime minister John Howard's infamous - and embarrassing - attempt in Pakistan in 2005.
"The sun's in my eyes, guys," Shark said right before the double-bouncing delivery wide.
The fun of the first pitch in Major League Baseball is for fans to see how celebrities fare at sports, with the good and the bad providing entertainment.
George W. Bush's perfect strike in 2001 at Yankee Stadium after September 11, and 50 Cent's woeful effort four metres wide of home plate, highlight the spectrum of YouTube first pitch videos watched by millions.
But is it right for cricket, or is it all just a bit cringe?
Cricket fans on social media had a mixed reaction, from accusing the BBL of "copying America", to backing it as a new feature that "could be fun".
The BBL told The Canberra Times that the 'celebrity first bowl' is set to take place at each of the first seven matches in the opening week of the season, however some clubs may do them for more matches, so there's every chance it could become a new staple of the league.
The hometown Heat went on to win by 103 runs on Thursday night as Melbourne copped injuries to Nathan Coulter-Nile and World Cup star Glenn Maxwell.
It was the Brisbane team's biggest winning margin in 13 years of the BBL, led by a 99 not-out stand by Heat opener Colin Munro.
Melanie Dinjaski
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know. If you have a story worth sharing, get in touch!
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know. If you have a story worth sharing, get in touch!
