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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Tom Doyle

Ben Stokes catch: England all-rounder makes stunning catch in 2019 Cricket World Cup opener vs South Africa

Ben Stokes made an early claim for catch of the tournament as the England all-rounder made a stunning take in the 2019 Cricket World Cup opener against South Africa.

Stokes initially led the way with the bat as he posted 89 towards England's score of 311/8 at the Oval.

And following Stokes had the majority of the sell-out crowd on its feet following a sensational catch which removed Andile Phehlukwayo.

Moving backwards towards the boundary at deep midwicket, the all-rounder somehow stretched to pluck the ball out of the air with his right hand and deny a certain six.

The catch, off Rashid, pushed England closer to victory, leaving South Africa 180 for seven.

Stokes' effort drew praise from former players and fans alike, with ex-South Africa captain Graeme Smith telling BBC's Test Match Special: "You have to smile. What a catch!

"He never looked like he was going to get anywhere near it. He stuck up the right hand and the big celebrations follow. It will take a lot to beat that in this World Cup."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.

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