Steve Smith became the highest catcher in the history of Test cricket on Sunday. On the third day of the first Test between South Africa and Australia at Kingsmead, Smith took four catches. First, he took a nice, anticipating catch to see the back of Proteas captain Temba Bavuma. Then he took one off David Bedingham in the second slip, diving to his left. With the Bedingham catch, the former Aussie captain went past Joe Root of England in the catches list to set a new record, taking his tally to 221.
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Bavuma was struggling against Nathan Lyon. Runs had dried up after the wicket of Aiden Markram. To release the pressure, Bavuma went for a reverse sweep, but the ball was a bit wide of the off-stump, kicked up a bit and hit the top of his bat, and an anticipating Smith threw both his hands to his right to make a reverse cup before completing a lovely catch around his right shoulder. Later, Bedingham went for a drive off a Pat Cummins ball that kicked up a bit, and Smith took another wonderful catch.
Lyon, off the bowling of whom Smith has taken so many catches over the years (65 to be precise), praised the right-handed batter for being such a top-class catcher in the slips.
{{/usCountry}}Lyon, off the bowling of whom Smith has taken so many catches over the years (65 to be precise), praised the right-handed batter for being such a top-class catcher in the slips.
{{/usCountry}}"I've been very fortunate enough to have him standing that first slip or leg slip for pretty well the majority of my career," Lyon told reporters later.
"I'm extremely grateful for that. He's an incredible thinker of the game, but the way he premeditates for those types of catches, they're freakish.
"There are not many people within that change room that will be able to pull off what he does," he added.
‘Then to grab it with one hand is unbelievable’
Smith didn’t just stop with the Bavuma and Bedingham catches. Later, he took two more catches, off wicketkeeper batsman Kyle Verreynne and Anrich Nortje as the Proteas, in reply to Australia’s 390 in the first innings, were bowled out for 284. The Verreynne catch, as the batsman attempted a reverse sweep, was another great example of anticipation and it was a one-handed one, to boot. In many ways, it was even better than the Bavuma one.
Smith received accolades not just from his own camp, but also from the opposition outfit. Former South Africa batsman and current batting coach Ashwell Prince particularly liked the way Smith had anticipated the Verreynne catch.
"He's obviously a good catcher, but today was also the anticipation of it," Prince said.
"You can see the players line up for the reverse sweep, and then therefore he is able to anticipate and then to grab it with one hand is unbelievable. It was special," he added.
Smith finished the day on 223 catches, ahead of Root (220), Rahul Dravid (210), Mahela Jayawardene (205) and Jacques Kallis (200). The visitors ended the third day on 33/0, taking their lead to 139. At this stage of the contest, they are in the driver’s seat, and the hosts will now have to play out of their skin to turn the match on its head.