Sports are often held up as an example of continuous innovation in society, with sports constantly evolving due to the creative intelligence of those who play them. Moeen Ali, a vital cog in a revolutionary England team, made a daring one-handed switch attempt but was laughed at by the keeper.
England reminded the world why they are world champions in admirable fashion in Kimberley on Wednesday as they made a miraculous comeback in the final ODI of the three-match series against South Africa. The visitors were reduced to 14/3 after Lungi Ngidi’s brilliant opening spell saw David Malan dig deep before a brilliant performance from Jos Buttler saw the pair stitch together two centuries.
The duo put on a 232-run partnership, taking the team to a strong position of 246/4 with nine overs to spare. Star all-rounder Moeen Ali made sure he played the set as he smashed an aggressive 41 off just 23 balls, studded with two fours and four sixes to propel his innings.
Moeen Ali’s Amazing One Hand Switch Hit Shot
However, amidst all the successes, it was one of Moeen Ali’s failed attempts that attracted the most attention in the cricketing community. The batsman had scored 19 runs off 11 balls when he decided to face Tabraiz Shamsi in the 44th over. After receiving strike from skipper Buttler when he had just hit a six, Moeen Ali attempted a brave switch hit on the way to a length delivery spinning outside off.
What made this incident extraordinary is that Ali left his non-dominant right hand off the handle of the bat and the shot looked almost like a bloody left-hander’s forehead. Rafael Nadal would be proud. A zoom-in of Ali after the shot shows a smile on his face that turns into a wide grin.
Heinrich Klaasen’s reaction to the shot was another indication of the absurdity of Ali’s shot. As he caught the ball with quick glove work, Klaasen covered his face with his glove to control his smile, embarrassed by what he had just seen. Athletes like Ali have taken to social media to express their views.
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See How Fans React on this Shot
#ENGvsSA pic.twitter.com/gX1Hcce7KE
— England's Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) February 1, 2023
Fixed it. I believe it is called the Bee Swat pic.twitter.com/taDQFrHZhD
— Iain S Wilson (@iainswilson) February 1, 2023
Moeen Ali with the one-handed switch hit (missed) 😂😂
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) February 1, 2023
43.4 – Tries one-handed reverse sweep
43.5 – Hits six over long onMoeen Ali ❤️
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 1, 2023
Moeen Ali batting like this is a joy to watch. Is this even the same pitch #ENGvsSA
— Joe Cottrell (@TheProdigalBum1) February 1, 2023
Was Moeen Ali any good at tennis?
— stuart hess (@shockerhess) February 1, 2023