The International League T20 has seen some spectacular moments so far and match 23 between Sharjah Warriors and Desert Vipers was no exception. Sam Billings’ brilliant wicketkeeping effort to dismiss Joe Denly had the fans talking.
Chasing a challenging target of 149, Sharjah Warriors were cruising at 50-2 after eight overs. However, the tide quickly turned in favour of Desert Vipers as Wanindu Hasaranga got rid of Marcus Stoinis and Billings added to the woes of Sharjah Warriors in the very next over.
Benny Howell bowled to Denly, who tried to defend the ball down by his toes. The ball took a bounce and went away behind square on the off-side, with Denly taking a step outside the crease. This was where Billings pounced, as he quickly grabbed the ball and flicked it behind him in one motion, hitting the stumps and catching Denly short of his ground.
Here’s Sam Billings’s brilliant presence of mind in action:
Sam Billings did an incredible stumping in ILT20.#ILT20 #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/HUtD6XvYaf
— Drink Cricket ? (@Abdullah__Neaz) February 2, 2023
The decision was sent for a TV umpire review and replays showed that Denly was already a goner. Although it was unclear if the dismissal should have been counted as a stumping or a run-out, the scorers went with the latter.
Billings’ effort was reminiscent of MS Dhoni’s magic behind the stumps and the fans took to social media to express their admiration. The wicketkeeper’s presence of mind and quick reflexes played a crucial role in Desert Vipers‘ 22-run win over Sharjah Warriors, as the latter never fully recovered and finished on 126-8.
In conclusion, Sam Billings’ no-look flick was a standout moment in the ILT20 and will go down in the tournament’s history as one of the best pieces of wicketkeeping. The Desert Vipers’ star demonstrated that in modern cricket, new wickets-keeping skills needed to be invented in order to get ahead of the curve and win matches.
