221 catches — Smith passes Root as Test cricket's top non-wicketkeeper
Smith reaches 221 Test catches, overtaking Joe Root with three catches on day three in Durban.
Steve Smith took three catches on the third day of the Durban Test to move past Joe Root as the leading non-wicketkeeper fielder in Test history. The 37-year-old reached 221 catches after two grabs off Nathan Lyon and one off Pat Cummins, reclaiming the record 31 days after Root had taken it.
Smith's best effort came when he anticipated Kyle Verreynne's reverse sweep off Lyon and took a one-handed catch at second slip. He had earlier caught Temba Bavuma at first slip and David Bedingham at second slip, moving in front of Matt Renshaw to complete the dismissal. Nathan Lyon said Smith was a "freak" for his ability to anticipate such catches.
Smith has now combined with Lyon for 65 dismissals, second only to Muttiah Muralidaran and Mahela Jayawardene's 77. South Africa batting coach Ashwell Prince praised Smith's anticipation, noting the difficulty of taking one-handed catches off reverse sweeps.
CricHubb Take
Smith's record now sits on a trajectory that will almost certainly be broken again before either he or Root retires, turning the chase into a long-running subplot rather than a settled achievement.