Kane Williamson takes a stunner to dismiss Pakistan's Hasan Ali
Williamson leapt majestically and plucked the speeding ball one handed out of the air before landing on his elbow.
The third ODI between New Zealand and Pakistan ended up being a rather one-sided affair, as the hosts managed a whopping 183 runs victory to clinch the ODI series. Although the encounter may have been an embarrassing mismatch, it was highlighted by an extraordinary catch by the Kiwi captain Kane Williamson that brought gasps from the Dunedin crowd.
With Pakistan’s top order decimated following a fiery spell from Kiwi paceman Trent Boult, the Men in Green were facing the ignominy of recording the lowest ever one-day international score as they teetered on a scarcely believable 32-7.
Hasan Ali then came to the crease and attempted to rectify the situation with a meaty pull off a half tracker from Colin Munro. However, he could barely believe what happened next as Williamson – fielding at midwicket – leapt majestically to his right and plucked the speeding ball one handed out of the air before landing on his elbow with the ball still safely secured in his fingers.
It was a stunning piece of athleticism that brought the crowd to his feet and his teammates rushing over open-mouthed to congratulate their skipper. Ali, confidently expecting a bludgeoning boundary once the ball left his bat had to do a double take to realise Williamson had actually clung on to the ball, departed shaking his head in disbelief.
Pakistan at one point was threatening the record books
Any hopes his side had of a stirring comeback were in shatters after his dismissal but more alarmingly at 32-8 they were threatening the record books as the previous low score in an ODI was a feeble 35 posted by Zimbabwe in 2004.
Fortunately, Pakistan avoided that humiliation as they stumbled on to a measly score of 74 but their capitulation and 183-run defeat see them 3-0 down in a forgettable series for the visitors.
The Black Caps meanwhile can reflect on another remarkable victory and their talisman Williamson, who also made 73 in New Zealand’s innings will certainly enjoy watching endless replays of his jaw-dropping catch.
Y0u can watch the video below
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