Scoops, sweeps, infamous drops and audacious hitting – the Champions Trophy had it all
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2017Buttler’s hitting endangers a cameraman
England became the first side to secure a semi-final berth, with a victory against New Zealand. Key to that was Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 48-ball 61. During his innings, Buttler played an astonishing ramp shot off Trent Boult that nearly wiped out the cameraman positioned on the gantry above the sight-screen. Ramp shots are usually played off full or length deliveries, but this was a short ball from Boult. Buttler had moved across his stumps and was preparing to crouch down, but when he saw the length, he adjusted quickly, stood up tall and just scooped the ball straight over the wicketkeeper’s head.The Wood over Williamson•Getty ImagesWood startles Williamson
Chasing 311 against England, New Zealand reached 158 for 2 in 30.1 overs. With Kane Williamson batting on 87, they had a chance to take the game down to the wire. Then, Mark Wood, England’s fastest bowler, produced a ripping cross-seam ball that got big on Williamson and brushed his glove on the way to the wicketkeeper. The wicket gave England the edge, and they ended up running through the lower middle order.Asela Gunaratne likes to make a mockery of the coaching manual•AFPGunaratne sweeps Bumrah for six
There were some outrageous shots played in Sri Lanka’s successful chase of 322 against India at The Oval, none more incredible than Asela Gunaratne’s sweep for six off Jasprit Bumrah. Sri Lanka were cruising to victory, and Gunaratne was in a hurry to finish the game off. The shot he played off Bumrah was not a ramp or a scoop. It was a genuine sweep, the kind batsmen play off spinners. He got down on one knee to a full ball and used the pace to lift the ball over the square-leg boundary.What is this strange feeling? AB de Villiers was introduced to the a golden duck•AFPA golden duck for de Villiers
AB de Villiers had never been out first ball in his long and illustrious one-day career. Against Pakistan, with South Africa in trouble at 61 for 2, he made the strange decision of trying to smash the first delivery he faced, off left-arm spinner Imad Wasim. He miscued, and the catch was taken at point. The moment was a turning point for Pakistan, who were now firmly back in the tournament after being written off. South Africa lost and were later dumped out of the tournament before the knockouts.Hasan Ali’s hates a set of upright stumps•PA ImagesHasan Ali bamboozles Parnell
If you want to watch just one ball from Man of the Series Hasan Ali in the Champions Trophy – you really should watch more – let it be the jaffa to Wayne Parnell. Hasan was bowling around the wicket and angled one in to Parnell. The ball should have ended up on leg stump, but midway through its journey it swung away and straightened. Parnell was looking to flick it through the leg side, but the ball was nowhere near his bat and smashed into off stump. It was Hasan’s second wicket in two balls, and it put Pakistan right on top in the game.Where did all my luck go? Lasith Malinga had Sarfraz Ahmed dropped twice of his bowling in a virtual quarter-final•Getty ImagesThisara Perera drops Sarfraz Ahmed
Pakistan played exciting cricket to win the Champions Trophy, but they also needed a little bit of luck on the way. Against Sri Lanka, in a virtual quarter-final, they were tottering at 162 for 7 chasing 237. A steady partnership between captain Sarfraz and Mohammad Amir kept them alive, but with 43 still needed to win, Sarfraz chipped a Lasith Malinga slower ball straight to mid-on. This was the kind of catch you expect school kids to take quite easily. The ball floated gently to Thisara Perera, but inexplicably, he dropped it. Sarfraz was dropped again in Malinga’s next over, and Pakistan sneaked into the semis.Pakistan simply couldn’t have enough Fakhar Zamans on the field•Getty ImagesFakhar Zaman takes a blinder
Pakistan had been slammed for their shoddy fielding in their first game of the tournament, against India. By the semi-final, though, they were a different side. When Moeen Ali top-edged a Junaid Khan bouncer, it did not look like Fakhar Zaman would reach the ball from square leg. He sprinted to his left and then dived to hold on to the catch. The ball was slightly behind him when he took it, which made the catch even more remarkable. England were already in trouble before that dismissal, but losing Moeen made their situation dire. They never recovered, and Pakistan stormed into the final.Beware Kedar Jadhav’s side arm… action•Getty ImagesKedar Jadhav gets Tamim with a side-arm ballBangladesh were scoring briskly against India in the semi-final when Virat Kohli turned to the part-time offspin of Kedar Jadhav His skiddy slower deliveries kept the batsmen quiet before he dealt a crucial blow to send back Tamim Iqbal for 70. What was remarkable about the ball, a straight and full delivery that Tamim tried to slog-sweep and missed, was that Jadhav changed his action significantly for it. His arm, which starts quite wide anyway, was almost down around his waist when he delivered it, and it was, perhaps, the trajectory that deceived Tamim.The hand of Erasmus signalling Fakhar Zaman to come back and cause chaos•AFPBumrah gets Zaman off a no-ball
Fakhar Zaman’s 114 set up Pakistan’s massive win in the final, but he could have been dismissed for just 3 had Bumrah sorted out his habit of overstepping. India had begun well after putting Pakistan in to bat, bowling tight lines to Zaman. Bumrah then tempted Zaman with width, and he fished outside off and edged behind. The celebrations had begun before umpire Marius Erasmus stopped Zaman from leaving to check if it was a no-ball. It was, and Zaman made India pay heavily.With shots like these, Fakhar Zaman might not be the best friend of the cricket purist•Getty ImagesZaman slaps Ashwin for six
Zaman was involved in the run-out of his opening partner, Azhar Ali. Logic may have suggested he be circumspect, but he attacked by smashing a massive six and two fours off one Ravindra Jadeja over. But it was the shot he played in the next one, bowled by R Ashwin, that typified his knock. He came down the wicket but was nowhere near the pitch of the ball. Rather than trying to check his stroke, he just lunged towards the ball with his body and cross-batted it down the ground for a flat six. He was off balance, his feet were all over the place, and so was his head, but his power and timing were enough to get the ball over the rope. When Virat Kohli later said there was not much his bowlers could do about high-risk shots coming off, this was probably the shot he was thinking of.Mohammad Amir’s dismissal of Virat Kohli dashed India’s hopes of a comeback win•Getty ImagesMohammad Amir bags the big fish
India were set 339 to win in the final and needed their top three, especially captain Virat Kohli, to fire to give them a chance. Mohammad Amir removed Rohit Sharma with a peach of a delivery that swung back in to Rohit and trapped him lbw. Then, he got Kohli to edge one to slip, where Azhar Ali put down a straightforward catch. Indian fans had not finished breathing their sigh of relief when, next ball, Amir drew another mistake from Kohli. This time, the leading edge was caught at point, and the title was Pakistan’s.