[Watch] Logan van Beek pulls off spectacular one-handed return catch in crucial Super Smash 2023-24 encounter
Pacer Logan van Beek pulled off a sensational return catch off his own bowling to dismiss Tom Latham in the Canterbury-Wellington Super 2023-24 clash on January 22.
After being asked to bat first, Canterbury coasted for much of their innings and reached 145/1 in 17 overs. However, van Beek bowled a top-notch 18th over to rein the acceleration back to an extent.
The 33-year-old removed Henry Nicholls off the first ball of the over and conceded only seven runs from the following four deliveries. In the final ball, Latham fiercely struck the delivery straight back at the bowler, but the Dutch pacer pulled off the blinder with one hand on his followthrough to send the batter packing.
The catch drew "oohs and aahs" from the crowd, with Van Beek being mobbed by teammates for his incredible effort.
Here is a video of the extraordinary reflex catch:
Despite Van Beek's brilliance, Canterbury scored 26 runs off the final two overs to finish on a formidable 178/4 in 20 overs.
The right-arm pacer is the joint third-leading wicket-taker in the competition, with 14 scalps in nine outings.
While Wellington is already through to the Elimination Final, Canterbury must win the ongoing encounter to pip the Central Districts and set up a rematch. The winner of the Elimination Final will take on Auckland, who have sealed the top spot on the points table, in the summit clash.
The Elimination Final will be played on Friday, January 26, followed by the grand finale on Sunday, January 28.
Logan van Beek had a 2023 World Cup to remember
Following his impressive performances in the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers to help the Netherlands qualify for the main event, Logan van Beek had a tournament to remember in India.
The New Zealand-born pacer picked up 12 wickets in eight games and helped the Dutch pull off a couple of miraculous wins against South Africa and Bangladesh. Against the Proteas, van Beek finished with figures of 3/60 to help the Netherlands script a memorable 38-run victory.
While his four-wicket haul against Australia could not help the side win the game, the pacer followed with a miserly spell of 1/30 in nine overs against Bangladesh. It propelled the Netherlands to their second win of the World Cup by a massive 87 runs.
Van Beek boasts an excellent white-ball record, with a combined 325 wickets in List-A and T20 cricket. He also has 67 scalps in 56 international outings (ODIs + T20Is).