Jonny Bairstow has made a few fumbles as a wicket-keeper in this Ashes 2023 series, which had significant consequences in the first two losses that England had to endure. But on Day 5 of the 5th and final Test, at The Oval, Jonny Bairstow plucked a stunning one-handed catch to get rid of Mitchell Marsh as England bounced back to force their issue.
Mitchell Marsh’s wicket was in a sequence of four quick dismissals in the third session that England eked out to make a comeback in the match after a big partnership between Steve Smith and Travis Head as the Ashes series went down the wire with history on the line with Australia targetting their first Test series win in England since 2001.
Talking about the Marsh dismissal, Moeen Ali, who has been battling his groin injury, got one to grip and bit up to Marsh off the surface as the lanky Australian prodded forward in his defensive stroke. The ball takes a thin inside-edge of Marsh’s bat onto his front pad, even perhaps brushes his shirt, and lobs to his right.
Jonny Bairstow sees the ball come out of Marsh and dipping away from him. He stretches his right hand out while diving, gets a grab of the ball, and even as he tumbles on the ground, doesn’t let it slip away. Upon completing the catch, Jonny Bairstow is cook-a-hoop and so are his teammates, and the Oval crowd.
Watch: Jonny Bairstow’s terrific one-handed stunner to dismiss Marsh
What a stunner by Jonny Bairstow!
Superb bowling from Moeen Ali as well. pic.twitter.com/Aa3b6u20zM
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 31, 2023
The Day 5 was a topsy-turvy one. Warner and Khawaja batted steadily for the first hour before their 140-run stand was broken by 3 quick wickets. Then Smith and Travis Head put on a stand of 95 runs. But England came back once again with 4 back-to-back strikes.
