10 of the best Ashes catches

May 03, 2023

Melinda Farrell describes some of the very best – with some stunning imagery and video footage to match – but is your favourite here?

(1994, Melbourne Cricket Ground)

England were in the mire, 91 for 6 on the final day at the MCG, when Shane Warne compounded their misery with two wickets in consecutive deliveries. Devon Malcom then came to the crease, the crowd held its collective breath and the fielders crowded around the bat as Warne skipped in and bowled his topspinner. The ball fizzed off the pitch and caught Malcolm's glove as he pressed forward, shooting low and well to the right of David Boon at short leg. Somehow he got a hand to it as he fell onto his back and the crowd erupted. It was Boon's birthday, but he was the one gifting Warne a hat-trick at his home ground.

(2002 Adelaide Oval)

Some fast bowlers regularly take screamers but it was never really Glenn McGrath's calling card – until he pulled off one of the great diving catches at Adelaide Oval. When bowling in tandem with Warne, McGrath was accustomed to causing England pain, but here they combined to send Michael Vaughan packing when the opener attempted to launch one over deep mid-wicket. McGrath sprinted and dived full stretch, the ball bobbling from his left hand to his right as he landed. He somehow held on and booked a place on highlights reels for decades to come.

(2005 Edgbaston)

The first of two entries for Geraint Jones on this list – and one of three from the 2005 series. This was a terrific catch – albeit one that shouldn't have resulted in a wicket – but it was further elevated in stature by the drama of the occasion.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest Tests of a legendary series, the second match at Edgbaston was on a knife-edge on the final afternoon, with Michael Kasprowicz and Brett Lee edging Australia towards victory as England sent down a barrage of short balls. Kasprowicz tried to get out of the way of a Steve Harmison bumper only to glove the ball over his head and down the leg side. Subsequent replays may have shown Kasprowicz’ glove was off the bat when it touched the ball but history records it as out and Geraint Jones’ glorious commando roll secures another entry on the list.

(2005 Old Trafford)

Strauss was yet to have his moment in the slips in this series (see below), but when he couldn't pouch one in the third Test at Old Trafford, it still led to a stunning grab from one of his team-mates. Shane Warne chased a full and wide one from Freddie Flintoff and the nick whizzed straight to Strauss at second slip. He fumbled the ball onto his knee and watched it ricochet out of reach. Geraint Jones lurched to his right and shoved his glove under the ball just in time. One of the great Ashes wicket-keeper takes.

(2005 Trent Bridge)

Strauss defied both Australia and gravity with arguably the greatest catch the Ashes has ever seen, certainly one one of the most eye-catching. Andrew Flintoff had gone wicketless in Australia's first innings until he produced a delivery that drew a thick edge from Adam Gilchrist. The ball flew hard and fast to the left of Strauss, fielding at second slip, as he catapulted his body parallel to the ground and whipped his hand out. In that moment, Strauss wouldn't have looked out of place wearing a cape and dating Lois Lane. Super stuff.

(2013 Hove)

Sarah Taylor's batting was sublime but behind the stumps she was pure genius. In the third ODI of the 2013 multi-format series she combined anticipation with dexterity to produce what many consider to be the greatest catch ever seen in women's cricket. Taylor had realised Australia were vulnerable with the reverse sweep and, as off-spinner Dani Hazell loped in, the wicketkeeper saw Jodie Fields move to change her grip. By the time Fields slapped the ball with her bat reversed, Taylor had already shunted well to her right but had much further to go in a split second as she nabbed a spectacular one-hander. Worth watching on repeat.

(2015 Trent Bridge)

Even by Ben Stokes’ high standards, his grab to dismiss Adam Voges during England's famous rout of Australia at Trent Bridge bordered on the ridiculous. The ball was hooping and the nicks were plentiful and one came off Voges’ bat courtesy of Stuart Broad. The ball cannoned past Stokes, standing at gully on the end of a packed slips cordon, and was well on its way to the boundary when Stokes lurched to his right and plucked it from the air behind him. No human should have been able to take that catch, as evidenced by Broad's reaction as he clasped his hands to his face in wide-eyed wonderment. We know how he feels.

(2017 Adelaide)

When a bowler takes a return catch it's often either a miscued shot that pops up for an easy take or a result of pure reflex, a hand stuck out as the ball is driven hard back at the bowler. They stick or they don't. Nathan Lyon's effort to remove Moeen Ali was neither; it was an incredible display of athleticism. The delivery was good, with flight and dip that deceived Moeen as he chipped firmly to the left of the offspinner, well off the pitch. From his follow through crouch Lyon sprang into an enormous full-length dive, his torso and arm seeming to elongate with rubbery stretch as he clamped his fingers around the ball. The only one who didn't seem surprised was Moeen, who started walking almost before Lyon hit the turf. His team-mates call him GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) and at that moment, he certainly seemed to be.

(2019 Oval)

Steve Smith conjured the spirit of Andrew Strauss for his screamer in the slips in the final Test of the glorious 2019 summer. Smith was at second slip when Chris Woakes slashed at a Mitch Marsh outswinger, but where Strauss dived to his left, Smith flew to his right, arms and legs cartwheeling. The result was the same; a one-handed corker with seemingly endless hang-time and images ingrained forever of Smith's suspended starfish pose.

(2019 Lord's)

Australia were holding out for a draw and England were hunting an unlikely win on the final day at Lord's when Joe Denly sent a surge of adrenalin and a flutter of hope through the home fans. Jofra Archer's wicked bouncers had been brutal throughout the Test, earlier ending a Steve Smith innings with concussion. Archer served another short one to Tim Paine and the Australian captain went on the attack, pulling hard and flat. Joe Denly produced a salmon leap to his left at mid-wicket and the ball miraculously stuck in his outstretched paw.

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