We’ve all heard the phrase ‘catches win matches’. Well, where better to prove the old maxim than on one-day cricket’s biggest international stage?
From the moment Ben Stokes set the tone in the 2019 World Cup’s curtain-raiser, the standard of catching has been nothing short of startling. In an era when players are as fit, agile and athletic as they ever have been, they routinely perform breathtaking stunts to pull off the most ridiculous and acrobatic catches.
The World Cup had no shortage of those moments where you rub your eyes and go, ‘did that just happen?’ Below is our pick of the most memorable efforts.
Ben Stokes (England) v South Africa
“The catch of the tournament”, according to Michael Atherton. This was one for the ages. With his wrong hand, no less. It was down as much to anticipation and balance as it was to cat-like reactions. The timing was perfect, in more ways than one: a left-handed grab at gully, with the ball millimetres form the turf, after being driven by Dinesh Karthik, well to the left of the fielder. It snuffed out a dour innings from Karthik and brought India’s powerhouse batting line-up down to 24-4, from the depths of which they never recovered, as New Zealand booked a final date for the second successive tournament.
