Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2023

Watch: Ellie Threlkeld pulls off world-class leg-side stumping off bouncer standing up to fast bowler

by Wisden Staff July 3, 2023 - 3:49pm 2 minute read

Watch: Ellie Threlkeld pulled off an unbelievable stumping in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy yesterday (July 3), taking the ball high on the leg side before bringing it down on the stumps in a flash.

Threlkeld was keeping for Thunder against Central Sparks at New Road, when she spied an opportunity. Ami Campbell, batting at No.5 and already with a half-century to her name, came slightly down the wicket to a short ball from Tara Norris. She tried to hit the delivery into the leg side but it bounced higher than she was expecting and came through at head height. As the ball whistled past her, Threlkeld had moved early.

As the ball passed Campbell’s head, she jumped up from her crouched position to take it above her head to her right. Campbell had turned through her shot and ended up facing Threlkeld, presumably expecting to see the ball disappear for byes. But, in a lightning-fast reaction, Threlkeld had already started moving her hands towards the stumps while still in the air.

By the time she had landed on her feet, Threlkeld had whipped the bails off, with Campbell just out of her crease. The whole movement from crouch, to jump, to stumping took less than a second, with the commentators unsure of whether Campbell had been out caught or stumped. Even Campbell looked stunned at the speed Threlkeld had managed to dislodge the bails.

As leg-side stumpings go, this one is a contender for one of the best of all time.