Allan Border dives left to complete a stunning catch at slip to dismiss John Reid

Allan Border was an asset. When you have a great batsman, an effective bowler and a brilliant leader in one player, you can’t ask for more. But Border’s fielding too made him valuable. Every time the ball went towards him, the bowler had the assurance of the safe pair of hands.

During the first Test between Australia and New Zealand in 1985-86 at Brisbane, Border took a flying catch single-handedly at second slip, to dismiss John Reid for 108. Winning the toss, New Zealand invited the hosts to bat and Richard Hadlee picked up nine wickets from 23.4 overs. New Zealand in response were off to a promising start.

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Reid stood like a rock and got his hundred. It needed a spectacular effort to displace him and Border just did that. Reid looked to drive Dave Gilbert, and it took a thick edge and flew towards the third slip, a position from where Border had just taken off Andrew Hilditch from. Border at second slip had to go after it and he dived full to his left and caught it with the end of his fingers of the left hand. He hardly got any time to react.

Border, later scored a valiant 152, in order to try and save the match for Australia, but the hosts still slumped to an innings defeat. However Border’s catch remains one of the most memorable slip catches of all-time.