AUS vs ENG: Watch - Ben Stokes Makes Big Blunder As He Drops Steve Smith While Celebrating

England National Cricket Team captain Ben Stokes made a massive blunder on the final day of the Ashes finale as he dropped Steve Smith while celebrating the catch.

The drama unfolded in the 66th over, which was bowled by off-spinner Moeen Ali, just before lunch. Steve Smith was on strike for the first ball and Moeen got his delivery to turn and it bounced to hit Smith on the gloves before going towards the leg slip, where Stokes was standing.

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The England captain timed a perfect jumped to grab a one-handed stunner but he lost control before the catch was complete and while celebrating the ball popped out of his hand.

Ben Stokes was reluctant to call for a review, but he took it after his teammates forced him. As the initial replays confirmed that the ball hit Smith’s glove, the crowd at the Kennington Oval in London erupted in joy.

However, the third umpire Nitin Menon saw the footage closely and made the decision that Stokes didn’t complete the catch as the ball slipped out of his hand while celebrating.

Australian vice-captain Steve Smith was handed a massive reprieve and fans on Twitter compared Stokes’ blunder to Herschelle Gibbs’ dropped catch of Steve Waugh that cost South Africa the Cricket World Cup 1999.

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Watch: Ben Stokes’ Bizarre Catch Drop

Out or not out? ?‍♂️ #EnglandCricket| #Ashes pic.twitter.com/q2XCJuUpxM

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 31, 2023

Steve Smith was declared not out because law 33.3 of the MCC states: “The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his/her own movement.”

Meanwhile, Australia went at lunch with 238/3 on the board and Steve Smith alongside Travis Head were looking solid in the middle. The Aussies are just 146 runs away from clinching their first Ashes series win on English soil in 22 years.

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