SK Play of the Day: Steve Smith takes another blinder in the final ODI to dismiss Trent Boult and seal the series

Decent grab, skip! #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/XHw4k82rMM
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 9, 2016

Australian captain Steve Smith has once again proved to us as to why he is one of the best fielders’s in the world. In the 3^rd and final One-Day International between Australia and New Zealand, the skipper got rid of Trent Boult in spectacular fashion by plucking the ball out of the air by diving to his right. It was the perfect way of wrapping up the series and completing the whitewash against their neighbours.

WATCH: STEVE SMITH’S SPECTACULAR CATCH TO DISMISS BOULT

With the game all but over for the Blackcaps in the 37^th over, Boult and Lockie Ferguson were looking to salvage some pride and make the loss look a little less worse for them. In the 37^th over, as Pat Cummins bowled a slower length ball, Boult backed away and looked to open the face of his bat to steer it but got himself into an awkward position and skewed off a healthy outside edge to second slip. For a second, it looked as if he would be safe, but Smith, the athlete that he is managed to take a blinder at second slip.

The catch was eerily similar to the one he took in the first ODI except that he dived to the left that time. With the way he is going, he might even find himself in contention to become the Australian football team’s next goalkeeper.

Earlier in the match, Australia, who chose to bat after winning the toss were in a spot of bother after losing 4 wickets for 73 runs in 19 overs. David Warner, who has proved to be Australia’s saving grace time and again once again proved to be too good for the opposition bowlers as he single-handedly carried Australia’s innings to a respectable total of 264 in 50 overs. His magnificent knock of 156 consisted of 13 fours and 4 huge sixes. Apart from him, no one else even managed a half-century.

As New Zealand looked to achieve their first win in the series were denied the chance to do so by an excellent bowling performance by the Australian bowlers. Mitchell Starc was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-34 in 10 overs. He was well complimented by Cummins, Travis Head, and James Faulkner who picked up two wickets each.

After a disappointing Test series against South Africa, Australia did remarkably well against New Zealand to achieve a whitewash. Next up for the Kangaroos is a 3 match Test series against Pakistan which begins next week in Brisbane.