When we talk about the best ever catches ever taken in T20 cricket, the ones when a fielder prevents a six but then goes airborne while coming inside from the rope for a catch, tops every list that there is.
One such ‘magical-catch’ moment was created during the England vs Prime Minister’s XI T20 warm-up match which will be followed by the Tri-series between New Zealand, Australia, and England in the same format.
While England won the match by eight wickets, the team needs all the appreciations for its complete performance with the bat as well as the ball. Moreover, it was their fielding efforts that left Prime Minister’s XI stunned as the ‘XI’ could only manage 136/8 by the end of first innings.
One such great fielding effort involved Sam Billings going airborne to send James Faulkner back to the pavilion. The moment was scripted in the 7th over of Prime Minister’s XI innings when on the final delivery Adil Rashid tossed it up one in the air and Faulkner took strike. The batsman’s eyes might have lit up on seeing the tossed delivery as he cleared his front leg to chip the ball over mid-wicket.
While the ball seemed to comfortably sail over the boundary, it was a running Sam Billings whose well-timed jump prevented the six. But realizing that his motion might take him over the ropes, he threw the ball before getting his feet back inside the field and catching it.
Watch Sam Billings Exceptional Catch Here.
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For the unknown, Sam Billings has been a wicketkeeper-batsman but his athletic abilities on the field still remain unmatched, making him one of the best fielders in the English side.
As for the match, Peter Handscomb from the Prime Minister’s XI was the top scorer with 43 runs while Liam Dawson and David Willey claimed three wickets each. In response to the 136-run total, Willey registered a quick fire 79 off 36 balls which took England to an 8-wicket win.