[Watch] Steve Smith pulls off yet another one-handed stunner for Sussex against Leicestershire
Australian batter Steve Smith showcased another surreal moment of slip-catching during day four of the County Championship match between Sussex and Leicestershire. The 33-year-old pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at second slip to send Rehan Ahmed packing.
The incident occurred during the 59th over of Leicestershire's second innings as Ahmed drove a fullish length delivery from Henry Crocombe. Stationed at third slip, Smith dived full throttle and took the catch to give Crocombe his second wicket of the innings.
The star Test batter took similar one-handed catches during the Tour to India earlier this year. The first one came during the third Test in Indore when Cheteshwar Pujara glanced one down the leg side off Nathan Lyon and Smith caught it with his right hand. The stand-in Aussie captain replicated it during the second ODI in Vishakhapatnam as Hardik Pandya edged it and he caught the ball at first slip.
Steve Smith is yet to make an impact in the County Championship 2023
Although Steve Smith displayed his brilliance on the field, the veteran batter is yet to deliver with the bat. In two innings, the former Australian captain has returned with scores of 30 and 0.
Sussex drew against Worcestershire following Cheteshwar Pujara's first-innings hundred, while their fixture against Leicestershire has also resulted in a draw. Sussex will next face Glamorgan, starting on May 18th, which will likely see Smith against his Australian teammate Marnus Labuschagne.
The 33-year-old will want to get some runs against Glamorgan ahead of facing India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India and England in the Ashes.
The right-hander had a stellar outing with the bat in the 2019 Ashes series, mustering 774 runs in four Tests, averaging over 100. The former number one Test batter also joined an elite list of players to strike centuries in the same Test when he hammered 144 and 142 at Edgbaston. While Australia haven't won a series in England since 2001, the Englishmen haven't held the urn since 2015.