The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has spared no expense to please fans this week, and cricket fans have been treated to a number of unforgettable events over the last few days. Fans got to see another thrilling moment in the field on Wednesday, October 18 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai during the tournament’s Match 16 between New Zealand and Afghanistan as Mitchell Santner grabbed an incredible catch in the second innings.
The incident happened after Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi was bowled a short delivery by Lockie Ferguson in the 14th over of the innings. The southpaw pulled the pitch that was intended for square leg in the air. Mitchell Santner retreated to catch the ball while still inside the 30-yard circle. The left-arm spinner executed a stunning one-handed catch by leaping to his full height and diving fully stretched.
Even former England cricketer turned broadcaster Michael Atherton, who was full of admiration for the Kiwi defender, was shocked by the extraordinary effort.
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Santner’s outstanding performance left Afghanistan reeling at 43/3 after 14 overs of chasing 289 for victory. Rahmat Shah (36 off 62) and Azmatullah Omarzai (27 off 32) attempted to dig deep after three early wickets but were unable to build upon their promising starts. As a result, Afghanistan capitulated to the strain of the scoreboard and was dismissed for 139, losing the game by 149 runs.
For New Zealand, Mitchell Santner was equally outstanding with the ball.
For New Zealand, Trent Boult (2/18, 7 overs), Mitchell Santner (3/39, 7.4 overs), and Lockie Ferguson (3/19, 7 overs) each claimed three wickets.After being given the opportunity to bat first earlier in the day, New Zealand struggled to 110/4 after 21.4 overs.
Tom Latham (68 off 74), the captain, and Glenn Phillips (71 off 80), who saw their team in peril, joined forces to form a 144-run partnership for the fifth wicket that helped their team reach 288/6 in the allocated 50 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai (2/56, 7 overs) and Naveen-ul-Haq (2/48, 8 overs) both claimed two wickets for Afghanistan.
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