On a cloudy London day, fortune favored England as Ben Stokes won the toss at Lord’s and opted to bowl first on a relatively slow pitch, promising plenty of swing and seam movement.
The West Indies held their ground bravely for nearly an hour until debutant Gus Atkinson was introduced into the attack, claiming two quick wickets and significantly slowing the scoring rate. Despite the tricky conditions, fellow debutant Mikyle Louis looked impressive, even as an injury-free Ben Stokes delivered a masterful bowling performance alongside Atkinson. It took a moment of brilliance to dismiss Louis for 27.
On the second ball of the 28th over, Stokes charged in from over the wicket, delivering a length ball that straightened just enough after pitching to catch Louis off guard. Committed to a front-foot defense, Louis edged the ball towards the slip cordon, seemingly destined to slip through the gap between third slip and a fine gully.
However, Brook at slip executed a perfectly timed dive to his right, extending his right arm beyond his torso to snag the ball at ankle height, his knuckles grazing the surface.
One of the best slip catches you will EVER see from Harry Brook! 😱
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 10, 2024
That reaction from Ben Stokes though… 🤣 #EnglandCricket | #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/0MQwMVDH4H
Stokes was in sheer disbelief at the catch, momentarily stunned before realizing it had been taken. His eyes widened, and he opened his arms wide as he sprinted towards Brook with a huge grin on his face. The celebration humorously echoed Stuart Broad’s famous reaction when Stokes himself had pulled off a similar catch in the 2015 Trent Bridge Ashes Test, a comparison quickly noted by Twitter users.
