[WATCH] Glenn Phillips takes an excellent running catch for Washington Freedom's first breakthrough against San Francisco Unicorns
Glenn Phillips, known as one of the best fielders in the world, lived up to his reputation after claiming a stunning catch during Washington Freedom's (WF) clash against the San Francisco Unicorns (SFU) in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023.
After opting to bowl first, SFU put in a solid shift with the ball to restrict WF to 133-8 in 20 overs. Phillips did not have a memorable outing with the bat, being dismissed for a three-ball duck by Haris Rauf.
During the run chase, SFU scored 14 runs off the first over, but it all went downhill after that with Phillips playing a role in the very first dismissal itself. His New Zealand teammate Finn Allen tried a huge slog off the second delivery of the third over of the innings bowled by Anrich Nortje.
However, the opening batter's slog towards the leg side only claimed a thick edge, sending the ball in the direction of third man. For a brief while, it seemed like Allen cleared the in-field, but Phillips made a darting run from short third, assessed the trajectory of the ball while running, and put in a dive to complete the catch.
Have a look at the dismissal right here:
!
/STUPENDOUS!🤯
Glenn Phillips takes an ABSOLUTE STUNNER😱!
1⃣8⃣/1⃣ (2.2) pic.twitter.com/2WXQEV83OC
Saurabh Netravalkar took center stage following that by running through the SFU batting unit with figures of 6-9 in his 3.5 overs. SFU were bowled out for 103 runs, falling short of the target by 30 runs.
Glenn Phillips claimed four catches over the course of the innings
Glenn Phillips claimed thee more catches apart from the one that sent Finn Allen back into the pavilion. His catches also sealed the departures of Matthew Wade, Corey Anderson, and Aaron Finch.
During the post-match presentation, the New Zealand all-rounder stated that he has set a very high standard for himself over the years.
"At the end of the day, it's all about mentality, everyone gives 100% into their fielding. I've set high standards for myself over the years. Fielding is the only thing you can do well if you haven't scored many runs, I just want to do my level best, great effort from all the boys," Phillips said.
He also heaped praise on left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar, who was adjudged Player of the Match for his spell.
"I'm chuffed for Netravalkar, in a tournament like this, to get 5 wickets is extremely pleasing. We have given ourselves some buffer with this win today, but we'll not take it lightly," Phillips added.
Washington Freedom sealed their qualification with their third win of the tournament. They currently have six points after playing four matches and are the second team after the Seattle Orcas to qualify for the knockouts.
Is Glenn Phillips the best fielder in world cricket today? Let us know what you think.