Is Adelaide Strikers duo Jake Weatherald and Ben Laughlin’s catch the best we’ve seen in cricket? You be the judge

WAS Jake Weatherald and Ben Laughlin’s combined catching effort in the Big Bash League on Monday the greatest in cricket history? SCOTT WALSH certainly has it as a contender among his 10 favourites. See the catches and cast your vote here.

Jake Weatherald completes the incredible catch started by Adelaide Strikers teammate Ben Laughlin to dismiss Dwayne Bravo on Monday night. Picture: AAP Image/Hamish Blair

• ‘I think we have seen the greatest outfield catch ever taken’
• ‘Amazing to be part of it’: Weatherald
• 8/35: The next Shane Warne has arrived

BEN LAUGHLIN/JAKE WEATHERALD

BBL, Strikers v Renegades, 2018

Is it cricket’s greatest? In the immediate aftermath it’s easy to jump to conclusions yet for all the moving parts at play, it’s hard to argue. Saving a possible six from Renegades batman Dwayne Bravo, Striker Ben Laughlin took a leaping grab inside the boundary but on landing realised his momentum would send him over the rope. Inside two steps he back-flicked the ball an estimated 30m towards teammate Jake Weatherald, who again had to dive to complete the miraculous tandem catch. Even factoring in the self-hype that goes with BBL commentary, caller and past player Damien Fleming said “I think we have seen the greatest outfield catch ever taken”.

GLENN MCGRATH

Test, Australia v England, 2002

It’s been pigeon-holed as a fluke but, however, it stuck in his hands there is no playing down the effort McGrath made to get to this unforgettable half-chance in the Adelaide Oval outfield. The 20m he ran to get there has probably already grown to 50m on the after-dinner speaking circuit, but no-one who saw it live would begrudge the exaggeration. McGrath’s diving grab to remove England captain Michael Vaughan remains one of the great moments in modern Ashes clashes.

Glenn McGrath dives to take outfield catch during the Second Test of the 2002/03 Ashes at Adelaide Oval.

JOHN DYSON

Test, Australia v West Indies, 1982

It’s long been the benchmark for outfield screamers, and even if it has been bettered in the 36 years since there is little doubting the impact the Dyson catch has had on the game. Sylvester Clarke’s slog went soaring towards the boundary and Dyson, fielding in off the fence, quickly wheeled back to get himself within catching range. A late backwards leap allowed him to take the grab with two hands. His reaction of relief rather than excitement perhaps endorses commentator Ian Chappell’s guess that he was fielding slightly out of position.

John Dyson’s screamer at the SCG to dismiss West Indies batsman Slyvester Clarke.

STEVE WAUGH

ODI, Australia v West Indies, 1989

It’s easy to forget that Waugh, highly regarded as a superb infielder, was a weapon in the outfield before seniority brought him into the circle. Never was this more on display than Waugh’s classic “sightscreen” catch against the Windies. Back in the days before rope boundaries, Waugh ran back with the flight tracking a Roger Harper high ball and took the sensational grab while contending with a near-collision with the sightscreen, fence and a looming Merv Hughes.

ADAM DALE

Domestic one-dayer, Queensland v NSW, 1997

Say the name Adam Dale to any cricket fan and this is the picture that will come to mind. Not a bad feat for a bloke who concedes he wasn’t the greatest fieldsman. Phil Emery tried to chip one straight but it skewed towards leg side. Dale, fielding at a shallow cow corner, hurtled towards the drop of the ball and clenched a miraculous one-hander in his right paw to complete what was celebrated (only in Australia, presumably — and even then probably only Queensland) as the “catch of the century”.

Video still of fieldsman Adam Dale flying through air to take catch to dismiss Phil Emery. Picture: Channel Nine

DAVID BOON

Test, Australia v England, 1994

This catch’s place in folklore is as much about the situation as the execution — the one that sealed Shane Warne’s home-game hat-trick during the 1994 Boxing Day Test. With six men in close around the bat, Warne’s leg-spinner nicked the inside of Devon Malcolm’s bat and spat towards square leg. But rarely has there been a safer set of hands close to the bat than Boon’s, and the Tasmanian’s lightning dive to his right created a slice of history.

Shane Warne celebrates his hat-trick as Devon Malcolm, bottom left, nicks to David Boon.

PAUL “FATTY” VAUTIN

Allan Border Testimonial match, 1993

Thanks to The 12th Man, this will forever be known as “Fatty’s F---ing Catch”, an ode to Channel 9’s relentless replaying of Queensland rugby league legend Paul Vautin’s one-hander at the Gabba. Running back with his eye on a Tim Horan skyball, Vautin appeared no chance of making the ground but, as the parody of Tony Grieg’s commentary immortalised, “he stuck his bug mut out at the lorst minute ... it somehow stuck and that is quite unbelievable”.

JORDAN SILK

BBL, Sixers v Thunder, 2015

Silk is a repeat offender when it comes to blinders and this might be the best of the lot. Running full speed from deep mid-wicket into a skied swipe from Chris Green, Silk somehow squeezed his fingers under the plummeting ball before landing on his stomach and sliding another 3m. Making this catch even more incredible teammate Stephen O’Keefe was running back with the flight from the infield, threatening another Jason Gillespie-Steve Waugh collision.

Jordan Silk makes a diving leap for the Sydney Sixers during a 2015 Big Bash League clash at the SCG. Picture: Phil Hillyard

STEVE SMITH

ODI, Australia v New Zealand, 2016

Smith has made a habit of taking screamers, but arguably none is better than his airtime grab at point against the Kiwis at the SCG in December of 2016. New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling cracked a short and wide Mitch Marsh delivery but Smith, with Matrix-like anticipation, leapt high to his left and grasped the catch one-handed, horizontal to the ground. His face-plant landing raised the degree of difficulty, as did the fact he found the spring in his legs despite having cracked a match-winning 164 earlier in Australia’s innings.

TRENT BOULT

ODI, New Zealand v West Indies, 2014

A token non-Australian entry at No. 10, this was a revolutionary in 2014 — and it still stands up. A solo pre-curser to the Laughlin-Weatherald tandem, Boult did the catch-flick-grab all on his own. Taking a Kieron Pollard swat in his right hand, Boult immediately tossed the ball back into play as he crossed the rope, before pivoting, springing and twisting back into the field to complete the spectacular grab.

New Zealand bowler Trent Boult.