Australian cricket fan makes extraordinary catch in his beer cup and then drinks it with the ball still inside

A cricket fan has turned into an instant Australian legend by catching the ball in his beer cup at a Big Bash League cricket match.

The amazing fluke came as the Melbourne Stars snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against the Hobart Hurricanes at Bellerive Oval, Hobart on Saturday.

During the sixteenth over, the Hurricanes were in trouble when the world's top Twenty20 batsman Englishman Dawid Malan whacked a six into the crowd at fine leg.

As the ball dropped behind the boundary fence a young spectator in a white shirt started laughing and raised his arms to the cameras.

As the camera zoomed in and replayed the shot it became clear the young man had tried to catch the ball, but missed.

Astonishingly an older man sitting next to him raised his clear plastic beer cup and the ball could clearly be seen inside.

The man then became an instant Australian hero by finishing his drink with a cheeky grin before flicking the beer-sodden ball back onto the field.  

The man did the most Australian thing: tried to finish his beer with the ball still in the cup

Top Twenty20 batsman, Englishman Dawid Malan in full flight at the BBL in Hobart on Saturday. It was Malan who whacked the miracle six that ended up in a man's beer cup

Dawid Malan of the Hobart Hurricanes  was in good form on Saturday at Blundstone Arena (Bellerive Oval)

'What is he doing?' commentator Mark Waugh asked.

'What about the COVID? He doesn't want to touch it. You can't give it back without the beer,' colleague Brendan Julian laughed.

The soaking wet, hops-flavoured ball had to be replaced for play.

The bizarre moment brought a good laugh to an unusual match in which a shock batting collapse delivered the Stars an unexpected third-straight loss.