Jonty Rhodes, the legend of athletic skill on the field, revolutionized many games with his incredible talents. His influence inspired skippers from all over to focus on strengthening their fitness and perfecting their fielding techniques. We have been blessed with some awe-inspiring catches throughout the years – requiring confidence and reflexes at lightning speed. Let’s look at the 5 most remarkable catches in cricket history:
1) Ben Stokes against SA, World Cup 2019
Ben Stokes, England’s all-rounder, truly shone as a fielder during his performance against South Africa in the 2019 World Cup at the Kennington Oval. Phehlukwayo had looked certain to hit a boundary when he slog-swept Adil Rashid, but Stokes flew through the air and made an amazing one-handed catch, landing smoothly on the ground. This is widely cited as one of the best catches ever. Nasser Hussain said on live commentary:
“No way, no no way! You cannot do this Ben Stokes. That is remarkable. That is one of the greatest catches of all time.”
2) Ben Laughlin and Jake Weatherald against Melbourne Renegades (BBL07)
At the boundary line, Adelaide Strikers Ben Laughlin and Jake Weatherald pulled off one of the finest relay catches ever seen in cricket. Khan’s flighted delivery to Bravo was sent high and long towards the deep cover region. With some clever teamwork, the duo executed a beautiful catch, sending Bravo back to the pavilion.
3) Paul Collingwood against Australia, NatWest Series 2005
At the 2005 match between England and Australia at Bristol, Paul Collingwood took an absolute gem of a catch to send Mathew Hayden back to the pavilion. Hayden had been attempting a cheeky cut shot off Steve Harmison’s short-pitched delivery but was shocked to find an Englishman soaring through the air to make a one-handed catch of the ball at the point region.
4) Jonty Rhodes against England, World Cup 1999
During the 13th match of the 1999 World Cup, South Africa was on the path to a convincing win after reducing England to a paltry score of 77 for six in the 29th over. Lance Klusener’s overpitched delivery tempted Robert Croft of England to play a lofted drive, but he didn’t anticipate Jonty Rhodes’ miraculous catch, which sent the crowd into a frenzy.
(Watch the catch at the 3:34 mark in the video)
5) Trent Boult against RCB, IPL 2018
The fans in the stadium held their breath as Kagiso Rabada sent a full-length delivery towards Kohli’s pads. But, just as everyone thought the ball was destined to speed away towards the boundary, Boult jumped to perfection and caught it in a glorious interception that put the brakes on RCB’s scoring rate. Despite this, the team still emerged victorious by six wickets, with Kohli and AB de Villiers leading from the front – however, it was Boult’s amazing catch that will be remembered for a long time.