5 instances when a fielder won a match single-handedly
Cricket is a team sport and every individual has a role to play in the side. The different skillsets of various individual players combine together to form a team. Bowling, batting and fielding are the three most important aspects of the game.While batsmen and bowlers get all the applauds for their efforts, fielders often remain the unsung heroes. There have been a lot of instances when a bowler has changed the course of the match all by his own, but to do that, he has often needed the support from his fielders.Different kinds of fielders in a team mix together to form fielding attack for their bowlers. So, if you have a brilliant bunch of players in the field, then even the half chances can be converted into wickets, and that is what can change the momentum of the game. The athleticism, the sheer desire to contribute to the side, and special talent made some of the cricketers match winners for their fielding abilities, especially in the ODI format.Here are five instances when a fielder won a match single-handedly for his team:
#1 Gus Logie vs Pakistan, 1986
The 2nd match of the 1986 Champions Trophy was between the mighty West Indies and Pakistan. West Indies won the match by nine wickets, but it was not because of their furious fast-bowlers, but because of their “flying Caribbean” Gus Logie. It was the first time in cricket history that a fielder was adjudged as the Man of Match.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. It was Logie’s day at Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium that day as he ended his day in the field with three superb catches and two brilliant run-outs. Both the Pakistani openers were caught by Logie before he pulled off a stunner at square-leg to dismiss Ijaz Ahmed.
But the “dismissal of the day” came when Logie directly hit the stumps from squre-leg to get rid of Javed Miandad. Logie also ran-out Asif Mujtaba that day and without batting or bowling in that match, he was awarded the MoM award for his heroics in the field.