The saying “Catches win matches” is timeless in cricket, and it was perfectly exemplified by New Zealand and Chennai Super King’s Mitchell Santner in a recent match of The Hundred. During a crucial game between London Spirit and Northern Superchargers at Headingley, Leeds, Santner took a stunning catch to dismiss Michael Pepper.
Pepper, who had scored just three runs, lofted a delivery from Reece Topley towards mid-on. Santner, charging from mid-on, tracked the ball with precision and executed a spectacular full-stretch dive to complete the catch. The official social media handle of The Hundred highlighted this impressive moment with a post showcasing various angles of Santner’s extraordinary effort.
Watch: Mitchell Santner comes from behind to take a ‘Flying’ catch in The Hundred viral
This isn’t the first time when Santner has pulled out a stunner. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, the Kiwi spinner had taken a ‘Screamer’ to dismiss Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi on the bowling of Lockie Ferguson.
The catch happened on the last ball of the 14th over with Santner taking a near-improbable catch. On a short ball by Lockie Ferguson, Hashmatullah Shahidi went for a pull shot but he miss-timed it. Santner then leaped and ran backwards to take the terrific catch.
Talking about the match, the Northern Superchargers secured a crucial victory over London Spirit in a rain-affected game, which has kept their hopes alive in the tournament. The win lifted them to second place on the table with 11 points. To advance to the knockout stages, they now need Welsh Fire or Manchester Originals to win their remaining matches.
Adil Rashid was instrumental for the Superchargers, delivering a stellar performance with the ball. He claimed 3 wickets for 16 runs, dismantling the London Spirit’s batting lineup by removing key players like Matt Critchley, Shimron Hetmyer, and Andre Russell in quick succession. His efforts restricted London Spirit to a modest total of 111 runs from their 100 balls.
For London Spirit, Liam Dawson was a standout performer, scoring 27 runs from 19 balls. Ravi Bopara added 31 runs, but it wasn’t enough to set a challenging target. When rain intervened, the Superchargers were comfortably ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, leading to a premature end of the match. This defeat marked London’s seventh loss in eight games, a disappointing end to their campaign.
Read more about your favourite CSK player: Mitchell Santner: A Key Player for CSK in IPL 2024
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