A cricketer catches a fast ball and pulls his hands back as he does so. This lengthens the stopping time, which makes the force needed:

1. The change in the ball's momentum is fixed by its mass and speed. 2. Force depends on how quickly that change is brought about. 3. Spreading the same change over a longer time makes the force smaller. _Source: syllabus Physics Part I, Chapter 5, Laws of Motion._