PAUL COUGHLIN catch
PAUL COUGHLIN catch

Paul Coughlin pulled off an astonishing caught and bowled catch during the Durham and Lancashire Vitality T20 Blast match on June 16.

Durham won a thrilling match against Lancashire by just two runs. Graham Clark (87 off 57 deliveries) and David Bedingham (78 off 42 deliveries) were instrumental in Durham’s triumph at Chester-Le-Street.

Clark and Bedingham shared a 109-run partnership, which helped Durham score 218 runs for the loss of three wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Durham also scored its highest T20 total against Lancashire.

Paul Coughlin’s brilliant one-handed lifesaving catch overshadows Durham’s victory; Ben Stokes reacts

The match had one amazing highlight moment thanks to Paul Coughlin. Coughlin struck in a vital moment when Lancashire batter Matthew Hurst was on fire and threatened to take the game away from Durham.

Hurst attempted a full-fledged drive while batting on 32 off 17 deliveries, which went back to Coughlin. The Durham seamer, who was practically off balance, tried to protect his head from the ball, which was returning to him at high speed. However, while attempting to save his head, Coughlin was able to hold onto the ball as he crashed to the ground.

The catch was astonishing as the Lancashire hitter hit the ball to Paul Coughlin, who had only a fraction of a second to respond. His first instinct was to duck and place his palm in front of his face to preserve himself.

However, he caught the ball in the blink of an eye, leaving everyone, including the batsman, completely surprised. Hurst couldn’t believe what he saw, placing his arm on his head in bewilderment before returning to the dressing room.

Even England Test captain Ben Stokes couldn’t help himself from reacting to the catch and posted: “What the heck” on X, while quoting the video of the grab.

This wicket dealt a significant blow to Lancashire’s hopes of chasing down the massive total. They somehow managed to keep the chase going while maintaining the needed run rate. But Durham kept chipping in, while Lancashire kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Lancashire required 21 from the final over, with George Balderson and Jack Blatherwick attempting to hunt it down. Blatherwick hit two sixes before being removed by Coughlin on the third ball of the last over. Lancashire lost the match by two runs when Balderson was unable to find three runs off the final delivery.

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