It was on Day 3 of the first Test between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester that the stands witnessed a moment turning into a viral sensation. All of it happened during the first ball of the 83rd over when Sri Lankan pacer Asitha Fernando delivered a sharp bouncer. Aggressive batsman Mark Wood of England pulled the ball fiercely towards the stands. As the ball sailed into the stands, one quite agile fan—if not more—reached up with one hand and speared the ball out of the sky.
What really made the catch even more remarkable was that, on his other hand, he happened to be balancing a pint of beer, which really made it an entertaining catch. The camera quickly turned towards the England dressing room as former England cricketer and coach Paul Collingwood replicated the catch in a jovial celebration, making it an absolute light-hearted moment.
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This made the atmosphere at the ground festive and put a smile on players and fans alike. England, though put up a strong 326 runs on the board in the first innings courtesy of a sensational performance by Jamie Smith. The young stumper-batter notched up his maiden Test hundred, rescuing England from a precarious position at 125/4.
YES, SIR! 🫡
Take incredible catch ✅
Don’t spill a drop ✅
Impress the coaches ✅ pic.twitter.com/IamoUULjmb— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 23, 2024
His stand with Harry Brook therefore stabilized the innings as Smith continued after Brook’s departure to carry on the fight. He formed crucial lower-order partnerships with Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, and Mark Wood. It proved he can bat effectively with the tailenders.
This inclusion of Smith over seasoned players like Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes really turned out to be a masterstroke, especially with Ben Stokes out of the picture. The way he batted showed maturity and composure under pressure.
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Sri Lanka, however, will rue the chances that slipped out of their grasp. Having England on the mat early in the innings, they failed to capitalize through the middle overs. Their batting also misfired with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis falling early to leave them struggling at 10/2 by Lunch on Day 3.
