England displayed an all-round display in the opening contest of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, beating South Africa by a huge margin of 104 runs. It was the day when the all-rounders in the English team shone. Jofra Archer, playing in his first World Cup match, took three wickets and dismantled the Proteas’ batting line-up with his pace. Earlier, Ben Stokes stroked 89 off 79 balls to take the hosts to a respectable total of 311/8 after Faf du Plessis asked them to bat first. Stokes also scalped two wickets to add the cherry on the cake. But the highlight of the day was the catch he took to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo at the deep mid-wicket boundary. That catch is already being hailed as the ‘catch of the tournament’. Phehlukwayo smashed spinner Adil Rashid hard and it looked like the ball would easily sail over the ropes but Stokes, in what was a Superman effort, leapt in the air and took a screamer with his right hand, making everyone and even himself drop their jaws. Twitter was abuzz and in awe of the catch. Here’s how Twitterati reacted to the catch. It did feel like ‘he got wings’
That Ben Stokes Red Bull ad is great you know...
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) May 30, 2019
The other Ben in England is shocked
BEN STOKES. pic.twitter.com/sfgkhgcFID
— Ben Duckett (@BenDuckett1) May 30, 2019
We can watch this again and again and again
WOW!!!! @benstokes38 has just taken the most ridiculously audacious catch in the @ODIWCup_2019 it’s the best catch I’ve ever seen in the flesh, find a screen quickly and see what I mean 😲😲😲
— Graeme Swann (@Swannyg66) May 30, 2019
Catch of the tournament thus far for sure
First day of the World Cup and we might have seen the catch of the tournament! #BenStokes
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 30, 2019
The name is Ben Stokes
Catch of the tournament....Ben Stokes might turn out to be both—The Catch and the one who’s taken the beat catch. 🙇♂️ #CWC19 #BenStokes #EngvSA
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 30, 2019
Impact Shorts
More ShortsInsane is the right word to describe that catch
Seen some great catches today. This one by Stokes to dismiss Phehlukwayo was insane!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) May 30, 2019