{
  "id": 13874178,
  "title": "Is Steve Smith the greatest slip fielder? Ranking the best close catchers in Test Cricket history",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/is-steve-smith-the-greatest-slip-fielder-ranking-the-best-close",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-12T04:37:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/steve-smith-greatest-slip-fielder-043741375.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Steve Smith smashed past the Test catching record on Sunday, taking his 221st catch in the process. This puts him ahead of Joe Root, who previously held the mark with 220 catches. Smith's ability to anticipate the batsman's intentions and make spectacular one-handed catches has made him the best slip fielder in Test cricket history.",
  "summary": "Here's a list of the greatest slip fielders in international cricket history.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "Surpassing Joe Root in career catches establishes Smith as the premier close catcher in Test history through his unmatched ability to anticipate batsman intentions and execute spectacular catches.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}