WATCH, BBL Finals | 'Gorgeous, amazing kid' Josh Brown's overwhelmed mom sings his praises after 140-run blitz

01/22/2024

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Beyond all the fame and money, professional sports ultimately boils down to making families and communities proud of their sacrifices. The BBL Challenger in Carrara produced perhaps the most wholesome live display of the same in recent history as Josh Brown's stunned mother gleamed in awe of him.

Up against the Adelaide Strikers for a place in the summit clash at the Carrara Oval after having lost the Qualifier to Sydney Sixers at the same venue, Brisbane Heat looked at risk of repeating their shambolic batting performance from three nights ago after losing their first wicket in the second over. However, one man alone ensured the script would be different this time around in a knock that would go down in BBL and T20 cricket folklore.

Opener Josh Brown, with just 20 games of T20 experience and a solitary appearance for his state Queensland, began his charge with a maximum and a four in the third over itself. By the ninth over, he had cleared the fence four more times to register just his second BBL fifty off 22 balls and celebrated the achievement with two more big blows in the ensuing over. Even after the 129-run stand with Nathan McSweeney concluded a little after the halfway stage, of which the skipper had contributed just 33 runs, there was no stopping Brown as he raced to a 41-ball century amidst a ravenous standing ovation from the home crowd. The 30-year-old's onslaught eventually ended in the 17th over, with a score of 140 off 57 balls laced with 12 sixes and 10 boundaries, ending a 64-run partnership where Matt Renshaw had managed just four runs.

During all this chaos, broadcaster Erin Holland made her way to Brown's mom sitting in the stand and after comforting her to ensure her son was still at the crease, the proud mother could not help but rave about her son's achievements. She divulged his golfing brilliance and the fact he had scored 10 goals in a soccer game when he was eight years old with a tangible gleam on her face. The wholesome interaction peaked when Holland informed Mrs. Brown her son had broken the record for the highest score in BBL knockout history, leading to a moment of ecstatic celebration.