Ben Stokes took a sensational diving catch at deep midwicket to get rid of Andile Phehlukwayo (1:36)
It’s been described as one of the greatest catches of all time. Here’s what viewers, commentators, team-mates and the man himself said about Ben Stokes’ incredible grab to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo off the bowling of Adil Rashid.
Ben Stokes:
“I was actually in the wrong position. I made a relatively straightforward catch into a hard one. It would have been a regulation catch if I was in the right place. It is one of those that sticks or doesn’t. We do train hard.
“Was it better than the one in the 2015 Ashes? Nah. That one was against the Aussies. So that one ranks higher.
“The crowd’s reaction behind me was pretty awesome. I just tried to take that in as much as I could. I bowled the next over and Morgs had to come to me and ask if everything was all right, if my heart rate had gone down. Things like that catch do get you fizzed up. I didn’t really know quite how to react to be honest, I just tried to take it in. The crowd today were phenomenal. It’s the best thing about having a home World Cup.”
Eoin Morgan:
“We see a lot of him in training do stuff like that all the time. You just shake your head because it doesn’t happen every day.
“He misjudged it at the start. He ran in, stopped and then I thought it was going to be way over his head. The next leap in that direction … unbelievable.
“I’ve only seen a catch like that made before by AB De Villiers in a game in Bangalore.”
“I’m going to take my clothes off and run up and down the street naked with England winners in a minute, it was just that big a win.”
Beware, people of London – @Swannyg66 is getting carried away! #ENGvSA #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/59SvDuPqOu
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 30, 2019
Moeen Ali:
“He ran in for no reason. He screwed it up! [smiles] I’d have just stood there and it would have gone straight in my hands!
“We see him do that in practice all the time. He’s always got a great chance of catching those. He’s a big part of this team.”
Faf du Plessis:
“It was as good as it gets.”
Nasser Hussain: (on TV commentary)
“No way! No, no way! You cannot do that, Ben Stokes. That is remarkable. That is one of the greatest catches of all time!”
Amazing how “boundary riding” has become fielding focus in the modern game – only time @hershybru and I ever left the inner ring was to chase the ball down en route to the rope!!!! https://t.co/lKBmJHOUT3
— Jonty Rhodes (@JontyRhodes8) May 30, 2019
Hey Jonty Have You Seen Stokesy catch another Jonty2019 Pull Of 2019 ……
— Bhanu Chander (Gunnu) (@evry1ns4me) May 30, 2019
Andrew Miller: (ESPNcricinfo ball-by-ball commentary)
“Ben Stokes, that is absolute fifth! Absolutely leathered through deep midwicket … and Stokes somehow launched himself horizontally towards the rope, timing his jump like a mortar from its tube, and clinging onto a certain six, in his outstretched, reverse-cupped, right hand! My God, that is an utter, utter worldy! If Alisson got a mitt to a screamer like that in Madrid on Saturday and tipped it over the bar, we would be talking about it for years…”
Source: ESPN Crickinfo