As many as 30 catches have been dropped by the two teams in the ongoing 2023 Ashes, with eight already being put down in the third match at Headingley.
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England have dropped 18 catches till the second day of the third Test in the series, with the main culprit being Joe Root, who has dropped six catches. Jonny Bairstow has also let go of six chances, including five drops and a stumping. Bairstow’s counterpart Alex Carey, on the other hand, has been relatively safe with the gloves, dropping only two catches, latching onto 12 chances and effecting five stumpings.
Ben Stokes has been given the most lifelines – six. Based purely on adding up the runs made by each batter after their first missed chance each innings, the drops have cost Australia 266 runs, and England 401 runs.
Here’s a detailed list of all 31 missed chances thus far, including how the missed opportunity affected the team.
First Ashes Test, Edgbaston
First innings
32.4 Harry Brook dropped by Travis Head
Brook was batting on 24 when Travis Head let go of a tough opportunity at deep backward point off Scott Boland’s bowling. The short ball was cut away towards the boundary, where a running Head failed to latch on. Brook was out eight runs later, bowled by Nathan Lyon.
60.2 Jonny Bairstow dropped by Alex Carey
Bairstow went after a fuller delivery by Josh Hazlewood and attempted a flashy drive but only managed a thick edge, which went straight to Carey. The Australian dived and got a glove to the ball but was unable to complete the catch. Bairstow, on 68 then, added 10 more runs.
62.2 Moeen Ali dropped by Pat Cummins
Skipper Pat Cummins failed to convert a caught-and-bowled chance, as Moeen Ali’s punch went to the left of the bowler. He extended his hands and got a finger to it, but the ball did not stick. Moeen, on one then, made 17 more runs.
Second innings
45.5 Cameron Green missed stumping by Jonny Bairstow
Green, on a duck, danced down against a Moeen delivery and went for a big swing, but failed to connect as the ball went to the keeper Bairstow. He was unable to gather the ball and missed out on a routine stumping. Green made 38 runs.
79.2 Alex Carey dropped by Jonny Bairstow
Joe Root missed out on a wicket when he found Carey’s edge with a textbook off-break. The ball turned away after pitching outside off and nestled into Bairstow’s hands, but he was unable to hold onto the spinning ball. Carey, on 26 then, scored 40 more.
94.4 Alex Carey dropped by Jonny Bairstow
Bairstow gave Carey another life in the 95th over, sent down by James Anderson. A lazy drive from the batter ended up going to the right of the England keeper. The low catch popped in but popped out soon after. Carey was on 52 at the time.
Third innings
54.6 Stuart Broad dropped by Steve Smith
Batting on zero in the third innings, Broad was unable to find any answer to Hazlewood’s short ball on the body. He ended up defending awkwardly towards Steve Smith, at leg slip. The ball landed in his palms but bounced out. Broad made 10 runs in the innings.
Fourth innings
74.5 Alex Carey dropped by Joe Root
Root let go of a caught-and-bowled opportunity when he failed to get his hands to Carey’s straight drive. Carey was on 11 when he was dropped, and made 20.
78.6 Pat Cummins dropped by Joe Root
This drop arguably ended up costing England the game. Batting on seven at the point, Cummins drilled a fuller ball back to the bowler Root, who again failed to latch on as the ball deflected away. Cummins scored 44 as Australia took a 1-0 lead.
83.2 Nathan Lyon dropped by Ben Stokes
Another costly drop, when Lyon was on two. The Stuart Broad delivery was pulled towards square leg, where a flying Ben Stokes attempted a one-handed stunner. However, he was hang on to the ball and the tough chance proved to be decisive. Lyon made an unbeaten 16, stitching together a memorable stand with Cummins, as Australia chased down 282 with two wickets to spare.
Second Ashes Test, Lord’s
First innings
4.5 Usman Khawaja dropped by Joe Root
The in-form Khawaja was batting on one when Root, at slip, let go of another grab in the series. The batter was squared up and managed only an outside edge, which Root was unable to catch with one hand. The drop did not count for much in the end, as Khawaja made 17.
12.6 David Warner dropped by Ollie Pope
Warner could have fallen to Stuart Broad for an 18th time in Test cricket if Ollie Pope had caught the left-hander at fourth slip on day one. The perfect outswinger was pushed with hard hands by Warner towards the slip cordon, but he was given a reprieve. Warner was on 22 when he was dropped – he made 66.
97.6 Nathan Lyon dropped by Josh Tongue
Twice in two innings, Lyon was given a lifeline, albeit off tough chances. Josh Tongue stuck his hand out as the batter hit one back to the bowler, but it deflected away towards mid-on. Lyon, on one then, added six more runs to his score.
Second innings
50.1 Harry Brook dropped by Marnus Labuschagne
Labuschagne let go of a simple chance when Brook, on 25, pulled an angling in Cummins delivery straight to square leg. The missed catch ended up costing Australia 25 runs, as Brook ended with a 68-ball 50.
Third innings
12.2 Usman Khawaja dropped by James Anderson
Another arguably match-defining drop by England. Khawaja was batting on 19 when he pulled a short ball by Tongue towards mid-wicket where Anderson was fielding. He was beaten for pace and was unable to pick it up, with the ball also going for four. Khawaja made 77 in the innings.
57.5 Usman Khawaja dropped by Jonny Bairstow
Another chance given by Khawaja, though it did not cost England, as he added only four more runs thereafter. Ollie Robinson lured the batter with a short ball. He managed a bottom edge and the ball flew to left of Bairstow, who ran back but did not time his jump to cling on.
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62.3 Travis Head dropped by James Anderson
Head slashed the first ball he faced of the innings towards backward point, where Anderson was stationed. The delivery by Tongue angled in and the thick edge went to Anderson, who was unable to latch on, dropping his second catch of the innings. Head made seven in his innings.
Fourth innings
0.6 Ben Duckett dropped by Cameron Green
In the first over with Duckett on zero, Green failed to send him back despite getting his fingers on the ball. Mitchell Starc induced an outside edge but the ball eluded Green despite his desperate dive. Duckett made the most of his chance, scoring 83.
28.5 Ben Duckett dropped by Mitchell Starc
The controversial catch by Starc, which was in the hands of the bowler but was given not out as the he grounded the ball as he landed. Duckett was on 50 at the time.
54.1 Ben Stokes dropped by Pat Cummins
Stokes played one of the most heroic match-losing innings in the history of game, but he lived a charmed life. He was first given a lifeline on 77 by Cummins, who did not hold on to the straight drive off his own bowling. Stokes went on to make 155
55.3 Ben Stokes dropped by Mitchell Starc
The next over, Stokes could have been dismissed in the eighties. He looked to smash a short ball from Cameron Green over the boundary for his second successive six, but a top-edge signalled his demise. However, Starc, at fine leg, fumbled and also tipped over the ball over the boundary rope.
57.4 Ben Stokes dropped by Steve Smith
Two overs later, the same story. Stokes pulled a short ball by Hazlewood behind square, and a running Smith failed to maintain his balance and the ball popped out. It could have been the game-changer as the match inched towards a close finish.
58.5 Ben Stokes dropped by Alex Carey
The streak of missed chances continued as Stokes was given his fourth reprieve in the span of five overs. The England skipper gloved the Cummins ball towards Carey, who dived full-stretch but could not get to the ball. Stokes was on 115 and he eventually made 155.
Third Ashes Test, Headingley
First innings
18.3 Steve Smith dropped by Jonny Bairstow
It is never a good idea to drop an in-form Smith, but thankfully for Bairstow, it did not cause much harm to England. Robinson’s line was misjudged by the batter, who edged it behind to the keeper. Bairstow reacted late, and the ball also went for a four. Smith was on four then and made 22.
27.3 Mitchell Marsh dropped by Joe Root
Marsh was only batting on 12 when Root let go of a regulation catch at first slip off Chris Woakes’ bowling. Marsh made the most of his chance and converted it into 118.
44.4 Mitchell Marsh dropped by Stuart Broad
A tough chance for Broad off his own bowling. Marsh, on 80, slammed the ball back to the bowler, who was hit firmly as he attempted the catch.
54.2 Alex Carey dropped by Joe Root
The drop left Root shaking his head as he failed to latch onto a straightforward catch, which flew to him at first slip. For the second time in the innings, Root dropped a catch off Woakes’ bowling. Carey, on three then, made eight.
55.1 Alex Carey dropped by Joe Root
Less than an over later, it was Root again, this time off the bowling of Moeen. A thick outside edge was pushed forward by Carey. The ball lobbed up towards short leg but Root was late to react.
Second innings
46.2 Ben Stokes dropped by Mitchell Starc
Stokes continues to enjoy the rub of the green with the bat in the series. On 45, he mistimed a tossed up delivery by Todd Murphy, and the ball went straight up towards Starc at long-off. The running Starc charged at the ball but it fell short. Stokes went on to make 80.
46.3 Ben Stokes dropped by Todd Murphy
With England at 197-8, Ben Stokes’ wicket could have turned around the game. Murphy had no one to blame but himself this time as a punch by Stokes was not grabbed by the spinner.
Third innings
24.6 Marnus Labuschagne dropped by Jonny Bairstow
Labuschagne got a bit of glove to the short ball down the leg-side by Mark Wood, but Bairstow was unable to cover ground despite diving to his left with outstretched hands. The drop did not cost England a single run.
Missed chances data provided by CricViz.
