Jimmy Neesham drops a catch after trying to dispose the catch. (Screengrab)
In a bizarre incident in the ongoing SA20, Jimmy Neesham took a catch but failed to control the ball as it went for a boundary.
The incident happened on the last ball of the fifth over during the match between Paarl Royals and Pretoria Capitals. Royals’ Root pulled Jason Behrendorff, and Neesham grabbed an excellent running catch at deep square leg. However, as he began to run along, the ball spilled away from his hands and trickled down to the boundary rope.
“He has done a Herschelle Gibbs,” said commentator Pommie Mbangwa.
“He’s got it, and then sort of starts to run, and then just pops out of his hand as he goes,” he explained.
Neesham asked for a review, but the third umpire deemed it not out. The dropped catch likely cost the match to the Capitals. Root was then batting on 13, and he went on to score an unbeaten 78, helping the Royals post 140 on a challenging track.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED! 🤯
Joe Root survives thanks to Neesham’s mishap on the boundary 😮💨
Keep watching the #SA20 LIVE on Disney+ Hotstar, Star Sports 2 & Sports18-2! 👈#PRvPC pic.twitter.com/6k9OfvArw7
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) January 25, 2025
Root then took two wickets with the ball, including that of Jimmy Neesham.
What the rule says
“Law 33.3 clearly states that a catch is only completed when the fielder has ‘complete control over the ball and his/her movement’,” reads MCC’s rule. “The ball cannot touch the ground before then. In this particular incident, the ball touched the ground before Neesham had complete control, resulting in the catch being deemed incomplete.”
Royals into playoffs
Royals became the first team in Season 3 to qualify for the next stage of the competition after their 11-run victory over Pretoria Capitals. 1 The Royals top the log with 24 points.
“The most important thing is to read the surface and figure out the score you need. Today was a case of being brave enough to take it deeper, and you might have a better match-up down the line. I thought we did that pretty well,” said Player of the Match, Root.
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