Catches win matches.
And if you thought Australia’s absolute drubbing in the Ashes series was bad enough, it’s getting worse in the ODIs against England.
Though they did manage to take the first two games of the five game series off the Poms in reasonably convincing fashion, England fired back up in the third game of the series, preventing Australia from closing out the series with a masterful display of fielding and spin bowling.
After England posted a total of 300 in the first innings, largely due to James Taylor‘s magnificent knock of 101, the Australia top order again failed to truly find their feet, with English spinner Moeen Ali providing the largest headaches with a beautiful spell of 3/32 off his allotted 10 overs.
But the real highlight of the innings came from the field with a pair of absolutely spectacular catches.
The first, from the most unlikely of sources in 6’6″ pace bowler Steven Finn, diving full length to his right to pluck a screamer out of nothing to dismiss Steve Smith.
The second, later in the innings, from Jason Roy to remove Ashton Agar, who skied a high ball into the night sky, only for Roy to pluck it – one-handed, diving backwards, and only after bobbling the initial grab.
99 times out of 100, both those catches hit the dirt. But the days that they stick are usually the days that you win.
England bowled Australia out for 207 in 44 overs, securing a handy 93 run victory.
Game 4 of the ODI series takes place this coming Friday night, Australian time.
