Watch: Kiwi cricket fan takes a one-handed catch while holding a beer

A Black Caps fan has stolen the show in Christchurch, delighting locals with a spectacular one-handed catch while holding a beer during New Zealand’s first innings.

When Tim Southee hit six overs in the 78th over of Wednesday’s first Test against Sri Lanka, one of the punters effortlessly palmed the ball while controlling his beer, which he promptly finished.

He had a bit of a beer spill, so he loses points for that, said the Alternative Commentary Collective commentary team.

He delays returning the ball, milks it, necks his beer, then returns it.

The bowlers take charge on a dominant day for the hosts

The Black Caps have progressed in the first Test against Sri Lanka thanks to the efforts of their bowlers, not just with the ball.

After Daryl Mitchells fifth Test century revived his flagging first innings, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and especially Matt Henry gave the home side a slim lead on day three at Hagley Oval.

Then, after Sri Lanka had erased that 18-run deficit at the start of their second innings, Blair Tickner removed their top three to end a day of New Zealand dominance.

The tourists resume tomorrow on 83-3, with a 65-run advantage and in a precarious position that would have been hard to imagine when they controlled the opening two days.

Sri Lanka’s target of a 2-0 series win to book their place in the World Cup final after they reduced their opponents to 151-5 in reply to 355.

Their seamers had the ball on the string, the Black Caps’ top order fell and Mitchell scraped for a run.

But after Michael Bracewell had departed early this morning to leave the hosts in their last four wickets and still 167 runs behind, Mitchell and him combined to transform the contest.

Mitchell continued his excellent start to his Test career, taking his average to 58 from 17 matches. Mitchell showed a fluency that both he and his batting mates lacked on day two.

The No 5 continued on 40 and reached his half-century 124 balls earlier, with a free-swinging Southee upping the ante and needing just 63 deliveries to get to the next 50 balls.

But that acceleration was nothing compared to what Henry managed, as a player with a first-class average of 19.8 made batting look simple on a surface that baffled the Black Caps pundits.

After Southee (25/20) fell victim to a fine catch by Lahiru Kumara, Henry initially supported Mitchell in his quest for a century, defending well enough as he made 12 off the first 40 balls.

His partner’s milestone safely secured, Henry then launched. Starting with back-to-back boundaries off Prabath Jayasuriya, the Cantabrian finished his innings by smashing 60 runs off the next 35 deliveries.

His sudden outburst culminated in a stunning 105, with Kasun Rajitha one of Sri Lanka’s second-day standouts with five consecutive boundaries.

Henry used an unexpectedly wide shot and scored to all corners for his home side as he registered his fourth Test 50 to lift his side to 350 and grab what had been an unlikely lead only an hour earlier.

The 31-year-old shared a 69/49 Black Caps best innings with Neil Wagner in the ninth as his teammate added a handy 27-of-24.

In all, with Henry out for 72 and New Zealand dismissed for 373, the batsmen’s 8-11 attack had amassed 126 runs compared to 100 for the top four.

It all added up to the slight advantage that when the tourists had survived six overs to tea and had safely bored the new pair of balls, Tickner soon made a much more impressive impression.

Playing in his second Test, he conceded 103 runs without a wicket in the first innings, so Tickners’ relief was evident when the breakthrough came in the 12th over.

New Zealand would have felt the same way. Southee and Henry were needed for nine wickets in the first innings, an unsustainable lack of balance in an attack that Tickner finished off in four balls.

He was assisted by Henry Nicholls, who was desperate to contribute. He took a sharp catch in the dugout when Tickner induced Sri Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne to drive.

Oshada Fernando escaped after checking Henry’s apparent lbw dismissal, but his stay was cut short when he unwisely clipped Tickner over slip and gave an edge to Tom Blundell.

The hosts then settled the blow when Wicketless Wagner was forced off the bowling with a right leg strain. But Tickner made sure the rising day ended in more fitting style, getting first-innings scorer Kusal Mendis to slip.