5 best England slip catchers of all time 

The standards of fielding have risen over the last two decades to such a level that footage from old cricket games might often seem to be confounding for cricket fans.

However, there is one aspect of fielding, particularly in Test cricket, that has remained more or less the same and the skills necessary have no evolved too much.

As many would have guessed, it is slip catching. Slip fielders need to have a special set of skills, that make them unique and as such different from outfielders.

Over the course of their cricketing history, England have produced their fair share of excellent slip catchers and here is a look at 5 of the finest.

#5 Colin Cowdrey

The former England batting great is well known for his superb batting over the course of a magnificent career that spanned more than two decades.

In addition to his obvious prowess as one England's best batsmen, Colin Cowdrey was also one of the finest slip fielders in the annals of English cricket.

Like his batting, which was centred around great powers of concentration, he displayed those skills when it came to fielding in the slips as well. However, most importantly, he possessed the excellent slip catchers' soft hands and did not grab the ball.

He let it come to him and it was no wonder that Cowdrey ended up with 120 catches in Test cricket, which is the joint-third in England's all-time list.

Moreover, he was extremely athletic and could go for tougher chances, which did not come straight at him. 

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