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Taking catches on follow-through is always tricky for fast bowlers, especially when the batter has found the middle of the bat. At times, bowlers even take their hands out of the way to avoid injuries. But Durham bowler Paul Coughlin on June 16 in the ongoing T20 Blast may have pulled off the best caught and bowled in the game’s history.
In the clash against Lancashire, Durham were under pressure despite setting a target of 219 as wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Hurst was going all guns blazing. In the seventh over, Alex Lees introduced Coughlin into the attack. As Hurst got the strike, he hit two consecutive fours. He would have completed a hat-trick of fours. On the fourth ball, went down the track to hit the ball past the bowler but Coughlin responded in a fraction of second to pluck one out of thin air with his right hand.
Coughlin fell on his left after taking the catch whereas Hurst was left in disbelief. Hurst held his head and so did Durham wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson as they had witnessed something extraordinary. The catch is likely to win the ‘catch of the tournament’ award as well.
The video of the catch has gone viral on social media. The umpire’s cam may make any cricket fan’s jaw drop as it shows how little time Coughlin had to respond to it.
Coughlin’s expensive-yet-effective bowling figures
After Hurst's wicket, cameos from Chris Green and George Balderson kept the run chase alive. In the last over, Coughlin was tasked with the job to defend 21 runs. Jack Blatherwick started with two consecutive sixes. But the pacer made a comeback by knocking over Blatherwick on the third ball. On the next delivery, Luke Wood took a single. George Balderson hit a boundary off the penultimate to keep the game alive. However, he managed just a single off the last ball as Lancashire lost the match by just two runs.
Two big fifties for Durham
Coughlin conceded 45 runs from three overs but bagged two crucial wickets. Earlier, opener Graham Clark's 57-ball 87 and South Africa batter David Bedingham's 42-ball 78 helped Durham post a daunting total of 218/3.
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