FOR some regional cricket followers he has become a real-life Superman.

But the Jamaica Tallawahs all-rounder Andre Russell is being modest about his fielding heroics in the 13-run loss to Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel in Port of Spain last Saturday.

Tall, lithe, and packed with the desire to excel, Russell has shown athletic qualities in his years playing for club team St Catherine CC, for Jamaica in regional domestic cricket and also for the West Indies.

“When you practise those things it becomes natural. Behind the scenes I do a lot of work with [the Tallawahs] assistant coach Junior Bennett,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

However, even by his own high standards, the 26-year-old was nothing short of scintillating against the Red Steel, comfortably taking a catch and making several crucial stops deep in the outfield, including an absolute stunner off the last delivery of the 15th over.

The left-handed batsman Darren Bravo had launched a flat, aerial drive down to long-on that was destined for six.

Russell, the fielder in that position, smartly went to his left and leapt a few feet off the ground to pluck the ball from above his head, throwing it onto the field even as he went tumbling beyond the boundary rope.

Quickly gathering himself and returning to the field to retrieve the ball and whip in a throw, he ensured the batsmen had crossed for only one run. In that blur of splendour, he earned the tag of Superman, the famous comic action-hero.

To that point, the Jamaica franchise had suffered a less-than-ordinary day in the field, dropping at least one clear chance and misfielding on several other occasions.

Harking back to his goalkeeping days as a schoolboy at Clarendon College, he shrugged his shoulders as he recounted the superhuman effort which visibly inspired his teammates.

“I’ve done it before, just maybe not that extreme because it was in practice. The momentum got me up there. When I looked at the replay I was a little surprised I did that, but then, being a former goalkeeper I’m not all that surprised either.”

Conceding that the action-hero tag has become popular since the Red Steel encounter, Russell, underlining his competitive spirit, still rued the fact he was not able to do more.

“I saved one six, but I wish I could have done more. If I was able to stop two more, we would have been in business. I didn’t feel so pleased losing like that — chasing 184 [to win] and losing by 13 runs. To get so close and not really getting there was annoying,” he said.