The Ashes 2023: 'It spreads through the team' - can England find a way to cure dropped catch woes?

Catches win matches. It is one of cricket’s most well-worn idioms, but like all these cliches it has become so well-worn because there is so much truth to it.

England know that as well as any team after an Ashes series which has been beset by mistakes in the field from Ben Stokes' team. Having put down six chances and missed a stumping at Edgbaston followed by dropping a further five at Lord's, the problem reared its head again on day one against Australia at Headingley.

Jonny Bairstow dropped both Steve Smith and Travis Head, while Joe Root put down Mitchell Marsh on 12 prior to him going on to make 118, as well as Alex Carey, before finally clinging onto one which got the aforementioned Head out.

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In spite of those spills, the fearsome bowling of the returning Mark Wood, who took 5-34, saw Australia bowled out for 263. Nevertheless, avoidable drops in the field are something former England captain Nasser Hussain knows skipper Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum must get on top of.

"It's like a virus, it spreads through the team," Hussain told Sky Sports Cricket. "I'm not just talking about in a day, it's in a series - you lose it, you get hard hands.

"The greatest catchers I played with were Mark Waugh and Nick Knight, and they had soft hands. Jonny Bairstow will know he should be taking that, Joe Root will know he should be taking that - these are not difficult chances, but now it's spreading like a virus.

"You're thinking 'don't come to me, don't come to me', when in the field you should be wanting every ball to come to you."

In total, those 14 dropped catches and one missed stumping have led to Australia scoring an extra 444 runs across five innings so far this series - an average of an extra 88.8 runs per innings.

This is not the first time England's catching has come under scrutiny. Indeed, even under the previous regime there were concerns over the number of chances they missed in the field during the 2021/22 Ashes series in Australia, which ended in a 4-0 defeat.

Former Australia women's international Mel Jones saw signs of it in Stokes' side during last summer's otherwise breath-taking Test performances too, and is alarmed by what would normally be considered routine catches not being taken.

"There was a lot of talk last summer around the slip cordon and it's something they're going to have to address pretty quickly in this series," Jones told Sky Sports Cricket.

"The most concerning thing is they are simple catches too. The ones they are dropping are a dime a dozen.

"That's something they're going to have to rectify overnight, you can't wait until next season."

Bairstow's two drops during the first innings will increase the scrutiny over whether he should continue to play as wicketkeeper or revert to solely concentrating on batting with Ben Foakes being recalled to take over in the gloves.

Former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara reiterated his belief Bairstow is capable of being a Test wicketkeeper, but only if he continues to work hard in practice to hone his craft behind the stumps.

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"I understand in England the conditions are not as easy when keeping to fast bowling with the wobble," Sangakkara told Sky Sports Cricket.

"Having said that, Jonny Bairstow is a good 'keeper and we've been analysing his technique seven ways from Sunday in terms of the games he's played.

"But it's fair criticism in the way he's kept, he's got to train harder to get more confidence and rhythm into his keeping because his job is very, very crucial."

England are currently battling to save the 2023 Ashes series, going into the Headingley Test 2-0 down with three to play following defeats at Edgbaston and Lord's.

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Hussain is in no doubt those missed opportunities have been a massive factor in that series scoreline, rather than the debates about whether England's attacking, entertaining philosophy is working against world Test champions Australia.

"It's been the difference between the sides and it makes me cross because when England win it's all about Bazball, when England lose it's all about Bazball, when actually they're 2-0 down because of those mistakes they've made in the game," Hussain said.

"It's attention to detail and at the moment Australia have had the better attention to detail, and that's why they're 2-0 up."

Watch day two of the third Ashes Test live on Sky Sports Cricket on Friday. Build-up from 10.15am, first ball at 11am. You can stream the men's and women's Ashes series on NOW.