A sport like a cricket isn’t just a display of good batting or bowling, instead what’s equally essential is fielding. A single over, a single wicket, and even a single ball can change the course of the game, such is the importance of good fielding in cricket.
In the past months, we have seen cricketers catching some unbelievable deliveries. Most of them are at the boundaries, especially the one where the fielder catches the ball at the boundary line and then tosses it up knowing she/he would step outside the boundary line and then comes back to the field to grab a perfect catch. Something similar was done by Australian cricketer Bridget Patterson while playing for Adelaide Strikers in the third T20I of the seventh edition of Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). The Strikers made 140 in their 20 overs against their opponents Sydney Thunder. With wickets falling at regular intervals, the pressure was created on the Thunders, and they were 8 wickets down for just 99 runs. Bounded by the pressure, England’s bowler Issy Wong tried to go for a big hit, only ending up the ball in the safe hands of Patterson who took a one-handed relay catch.
Cool as you like from Bridget Patterson 😎🔥
(via @StrikersWBBL) pic.twitter.com/PIic9ATWBy
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 16, 2021
Patterson’s catch was referred to as an unbelievable catch and received praise from many. Her effort in the field along with Tahlia McGrath’s three-wicket haul guided Adelaide Strikers to thirty runs victory over the Sydney Thunder achieving their first victory of the season.
The one-handed catch by Radha Yadav
Just four matches of Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) seventh edition, and we have seen some excellent displays of fielding in almost each of the four matches.
As we pause for a drink at Blundstone Arena, can we just marvel at this catch from Radha Yadav one more time? @CommBank | #WBBL07 pic.twitter.com/q2a81D85Yl
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 17, 2021
The latest being Indian Radha Yadav’s one-handed catch while playing for Sydney Sixers against Hobart Hurricanes. Called as yet another unbelievable catch, Yadav became the star of the match getting more praise than another Indian Shafali Verma’s exciting 57 in the same match. It seems like Indians are enjoying their spot in WBBL.
Yadav caught Mignon du Preez off Maitlan Brown’s ball in the second over of the innings. Preez managed to contribute just a single from her four deliveries.
After winning the toss, the Sixers decided to bowl first and four of the six bowlers used- captain Ellyse Perry, Radha Yadav, Maitlan Brown and Nicole Bolton managed to get a couple of wickets each while Ashleigh Gardner got one to her name. For Hurricanes, another Indian Richa Ghosh was the sole performer with her 46 which included three sixes and one four. As a result of which the Hurricanes were restricted to 125 for 9 wickets in their quota of 20 overs. Chasing the target of 126, Sixers opener Shafali led from the front and was adjudged as the player of the match while for Hurricanes, Molly Strano took a three-wicket haul, and Nicola Carey, Tayla Vlaeminck got one each. Sixers made the total with 5 wickets and 3 balls to spare to register their second win of the season.
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