3 times a fielder defied his age to take a great catch
"Catches win matches," the old saying goes.
Fielders don't always get the credit they deserve with batters and bowlers stealing most of the headlines. However, there are some catches that stay in the viewers' memory forever.
The fielding standards in cricket have only got better in recent times. The likes of Faf du Plessis, Ravindra Jadeja, and others have followed in the footsteps of the great Jonty Rhodes, regarded as one of the greatest fielders of all time.
And it's not just the young players dominating a lot of the headlines involving fielding. The veterans have occasionally come up big at times to deliver memorable moments on the field as well.
Roelof van der Merwe recently took a couple of sensational catches, most notably for the Netherlands. One of those came in a match against South Africa, ultimately ending in the Dutch knocking the Proteas out of the T20 World Cup last year.
Faf du Plessis keeps producing jaw-dropping moments almost on a weekly basis too, with Kieron Pollard not far behind either. There's something about these veterans, who have set lofty standards on the field, still being able to produce such brilliance.
On that note, we take a look at three times a fielder defied his age to take a catch:
#1 Ricky Ponting
Remembered as one of the best catches in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ricky Ponting flew like Superman without a cape on his back to dismiss Unmukt Chand. In this match between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Delhi Daredevils, Chand took strike on the first ball against Harbhajan Singh.
With the bowler managing to produce a false short, Ponting was present where he had to be at short extra cover. The 40-year-old sprung himself to his right and grabbed a one-handed blinder, managing to hold onto the catch even as his elbow hit the ground.
The celebrations were a sight to behold, with the MI captain having the entire stadium on their feet to applaud greatness.
#2 Daniel Vettori
Happy birthday Daniel Vettori!
How about this stunner from #CWC15? 👌 https://t.co/VHeYMbEXiv
Playing at his last World Cup in 2015, Daniel Vettori produced a moment of magic in the game against West Indies in Wellington.
Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle were looking to rebuild the innings with a partnership when Vettori provided a moment that got everyone on their feet. Fielding at third man, the former New Zealand captain plucked a one-handed scorcher out of thin air to send Samuels on his way.
It was truly one of the moments of the tournament with the entire team running towards Vettori to show some love after a superhuman piece of athleticism.
#3 Suresh Raina
What a dive. What a catch 😱✨
@ImRaina you beauty ♥️
Dekhte rahiye @India__Legends vs @aussie_legends in the #RoadSafetyWorldSeries now, only on @Colors_Cineplex, @justvoot, Colors Cineplex Superhits and @Sports18. https://t.co/gXMHxd1KTy
Suresh Raina has been one of the best fielders India has ever produced and that holds true, even today.
The Chennai Super Kings' 'Chinna Thala' might have retired from international and domestic cricket. However, he's still got a bit left in the tank, as he showed in the Road Safety Series 2022.
In a match between India and Australia Legends, Raina plucked an absolute blinder at backward point to dismiss Ben Dunk. The 36-year-old rolled back the years with that stunning effort to give his team an important breakthrough.
Taking that catch in Jonty Rhodes' corner perhaps made it a bit more special too.