In a dramatic moment during the T20 World Cup Super 8 clash, South Africa’s Quinton de Kock got a significant reprieve after England’s Mark Wood mishandled a straightforward catch. The match took place at Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia on Friday, June 21. Wood’s misjudgment at fine leg led to a prolonged review by the third umpire, ultimately ruling in the batter’s favor.
Quinton de Kock, who had swiftly reached his fifty, played a sweep shot off Adil Rashid’s bowling. At first glance, it seemed like an easy catch for Wood in the deep. However, he misjudged the ball’s trajectory, remaining rooted to his spot instead of stepping forward to secure the catch.
England initially celebrated the wicket, but the umpires decided to refer the catch for a thorough review. Replays indicated that Wood failed to get his fingers under the ball, which had touched the ground. Here’s a glimpse of the incident:
Wood was visibly displeased with the decision and argued his case, with skipper Jos Buttler joining in. However, they eventually accepted the ruling. Quinton de Kock was finally dismissed for 65 runs off 38 deliveries, including four fours and four sixes.
Following de Kock’s dismissal, South Africa struggled. Adil Rashid dominated the middle overs, and with wickets falling regularly, the Proteas were reeling at 133-4 after 17 overs.
Mark Wood’s Previous Low Catch Success Against West Indies
Interestingly, Mark Wood had successfully taken a low catch in a previous Super 8 stage match against West Indies. In that encounter at the same venue, Wood dived to catch Rovman Powell’s shot off Liam Livingstone’s bowling. On that occasion, Wood managed to secure the catch cleanly, though the third umpire still reviewed it before ruling in England’s favor.
Will Quinton de Kock’s near-miss prove costly for England, or will they capitalize on South Africa’s middle-order collapse? Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of this Super 8 clash!
