HOWZAT! GREAT CRICKET CATCHES
Tuesday evening saw Yorkshire's deadly duo Adam Lyth and Aaron Finch reprise their boundary-rope teamwork in the NatWest T20 Blast.
Leicestershire's Josh Cobb went the same way as Lancashire's Tom Smith last month as Lyth hurled himself over the long-on boundary and flicked the ball back for Finch to catch.
Here, Press Association Sport's Tom White looks back at some of cricket's most memorable catches.
ANGELO MATHEWS/MAHELA JAYAWARDENE, Sri Lanka v Australia, second T20 international, August 2011
Mathews' contribution may not rival Lyth's athleticism, but his presence of mind was a class apart. David Warner slog-swept Ajantha Mendis towards the square-leg boundary where Mathews took the catch in both hands. Unable to stop his momentum, not only did he release the ball before crossing the rope but he tossed it fully 20 yards in the direction of deep backward square where Jayawardene, who also deserves credit for keeping his concentration, completed the catch. The scoreboard entry reads "c Jayawardene b Mendis" but, like Lyth, Mathews deserves better than to be a silent partner.
JONTY RHODES, South Africa v England, World Cup, May 1999
The South African is generally acknowledged as cricket's greatest ever fielder and while his diving run-outs are arguably even more famous, he frequently stunned spectators with the athleticism of his catches. One of the finest examples came at the Oval during the 1999 World Cup when England's Robert Croft drove Lance Klusener high above backward point only to watch dumbfounded as Rhodes leapt high in the air, stretched up his left arm, tipped the ball in the air and, as it dropped behind him, kept his eye on it and turned to complete the catch.
ANDREW STRAUSS, England v Australia, fourth Test, August 2005
Among innumerable highlights from the 2005 Ashes, Strauss' diving catch to dismiss Adam Gilchrist at Trent Bridge stands out. The Australian wicketkeeper pushed at an Andrew Flintoff delivery and Strauss flew to his left, "arching his back like a salmon pushing upstream to stay airborne" in the words of the great cricket writer Gideon Haigh, to cling on. England won the match by three wickets and edged a stunning series 2-1.
MARTIN van JAARSVELD, Titans v Eagles, MTN Domestic Championship final, January 2009
The Titans won South Africa's one-day cup with an eight-wicket success after restricting their opponents to 138 all out in 44 of their 45 overs. The much-maligned Paul Harris took five for 27 but the tone was set by Van Jaarsveld in the second over when, fielding at slip, he anticipated Morne van Wyk's sweep at Roelof van der Merwe and ran round behind wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn to the leg side to pouch a one-handed catch.
DWAYNE LEVEROCK, Bermuda v India, World Cup, March 2007
The 20-stone-plus left-arm spinner who lived above a curry house became a cult figure in the island nation's World Cup appearance, and provided one of the tournament's highlights against India. Robin Uthappa poked 17-year-old tournament debutant Malachi Jones' first ball wide of slip - where Leverock was stationed, seemingly to compensate for his lack of mobility. Not a bit of it. The 35-year-old dived full-length to his right and plucked the ball in his fingertips before setting off on a memorable celebratory lap. India would go on to make 413 for five, Jones taking one for 74 in seven overs and Leverock one for 96 in 10, before Bermuda were dismissed for 156 - but it is the big man's big dive that lives on in the memory.
