Kent batsman Heino Kuhn has enjoyed an awesome season with the bat, but his catching in the slips has been equally inspiring.
Slip catching is one of the most difficult skills to master in all of cricket. You stand for hours waiting for the edge. It’s about concentration, split-second reflexes and knowing when to go for the catch and when to leave it to the other slips or your keeper.
Not easy. Not ever.
It’s exhilarating to take a catch in the slips but, man, it’s so easy to put them down as well.
While watching highlights of this season’s County Championship I noticed former South African Test batsman Heino Kuhn in the slips for Kent against Sussex … and I was astounded by one catch in particular. Kuhn didn’t take the catch in question: rather, his first slip team-mate Sean Dickson (also born in South Africa) took the catch to remove Sussex’s Harry Finch off the bowling of New Zealander Matt Henry.
What amazed me was Kuhn’s astounding spatial awareness. Slip catches come flying at pace, so it’s natural to grab or snatch at them … but in this catch (see the Instagram video below) you can see how he actually moves his body to the side to ensure that he doesn’t distract in any way from his team-mate’s chance of taking the catch.
That awareness is quite astounding and exceptional.
Kent keeper Adam Rouse from Zimbabwe took another brilliant diving catch to remove Luke Wells off Henry’s bowling, and again it was incredible to watch Kuhn’s calmness as he watched the ball coming to the slip cordon and even applauded his team-mate as the keeper was taking the catch.
Kuhn then swallowed a catch off Henry to dismiss Luke Wright in a moment of pure class, as he never looked like dropping it. If you want an example of how a world-class slip fielder does his magic, just watch Heino Kuhn at work.
I made a point of watching him in the slips in other highlights packages online and he seems at all time to be ahead of the action, able to react with incredible speed to exactly where the ball is going. I don’t recall ever having seen a slip fielder with as incredible an awareness or such amazing reflexes, so I contacted him in England in the hope of winkling out some secrets from him.
Heino, you clearly love fielding … but do you prefer fielding in the slips or do you enjoy fielding anywhere?
I normally like to stand in important positions, depending on the match and the format I’m playing in. In limited overs matches I like to be at point or cover, where I can dive and stop runs, but in the longer format I prefer to stand in the slips where I can take catches. Fielding in the slips is an important position and you have to concentrate every ball.
What does it take to succeed in the slips?
Slip catching is definitely not for everyone, but I do enjoy it and work hard at it. It takes a lot of concentration and focus, but I feel that slip catching and just fielding, in general, is all about your mindset and attitude. I do think that having experience as a wicketkeeper has played a part in me being a good slip fielder because, when you keep wicket, you also have to concentrate every ball and be prepared and ready – after all, you have to expect that every ball could come to you. I don’t think there is much of a difference between being a wicketkeeper and a slip fielder – it is only the angle that changes a little.
What is your routine for each ball?
I get into my most comfortable stance and, as soon as the bowler gets halfway to the crease, then I start focussing very hard on the batsmen’s bat. I try just to look at that edge and where I think the ball will hit the edge. I try to be as still as possible and, if the ball gets edged to either side of me, then I try and stay as still and motionless as possible so as not to distract my team-mates.
How did you first develop your catching skills?
As a kid I just caught a lot of tennis balls and, growing older, I just kept catching balls … and I still love doing it.
- Heino can be seen in action this coming weekend for Kent as they take on Hampshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup final at Lord’s in London, starting at 12:00pm SAST.
