5 best England slip catchers of all time 

The standards of fielding have risen over the last two decades to such a level that footage from old cricket games might often seem to be confounding for cricket fans.

However, there is one aspect of fielding, particularly in Test cricket, that has remained more or less the same and the skills necessary have no evolved too much.

As many would have guessed, it is slip catching. Slip fielders need to have a special set of skills, that make them unique and as such different from outfielders.

Over the course of their cricketing history, England have produced their fair share of excellent slip catchers and here is a look at 5 of the finest.

#5 Colin Cowdrey

The former England batting great is well known for his superb batting over the course of a magnificent career that spanned more than two decades.

In addition to his obvious prowess as one England's best batsmen, Colin Cowdrey was also one of the finest slip fielders in the annals of English cricket.

Like his batting, which was centred around great powers of concentration, he displayed those skills when it came to fielding in the slips as well. However, most importantly, he possessed the excellent slip catchers' soft hands and did not grab the ball.

He let it come to him and it was no wonder that Cowdrey ended up with 120 catches in Test cricket, which is the joint-third in England's all-time list.

Moreover, he was extremely athletic and could go for tougher chances, which did not come straight at him.

#4 Ian Botham

He was possibly the most naturally gifted cricketer that ever played the game and is certainly among the finest cricketers to have ever represented England in Test cricket.

Ian Botham's prowess as an all-rounder is well known but what is not often talked about are his skills as a slip fielder. Botham was a natural athlete and it found its full expression when he fielded at 2nd slip for England.

Unlike other slip fielders, Botham stood far closer to the action and that did not deter him one bit from taking catches.

On the other hand, his athleticism helped him in often coming up with one-handed catches if the situation demanded.

Big hands and natural ability to throw himself around came in handy. He took 120 catches in 102 Test matches and remains joint third in England's all-time list of highest catchers.

#3 Len Braund

The right-handed batsman played only 23 Test matches for England between 1901 and 1908 and was well known for having the ability to hold his own on all sorts of pitches.

Len Braun was an excellent batsman, but it was as a slip fielder that he was a bit of a freak and is regarded as one of the finest fielders to have played for England. Braund was particularly well known for his acrobatics and that too at a time when that sort of fielding was not in vogue.

Pelham Warner stated that Braund never took it easy on the field and CB Fry commented that he never looked flustered on the field in any way.

In only 23 Test matches, Braund took 39 catches and what is even more remarkable is that he took 30 catches in 15 Test matches in Australia during the course of his career. Only 3 other fielders in cricket history have a better record away from home.

#2 Andrew Strauss

The former England captain and the opening batsman is famed for being one of the best opening batsmen of his generation and for his leadership that saw the team climb the top of the ICC Test rankings.

That being said, Andrew Strauss was also part of an outstanding slip cordon and standing at 2nd slip, he became one of the safest catchers in Test cricket in that position.

Strauss had immense powers of concentration, which helped in focus throughout the course of long days on the field and in addition to that, he had excellent hands which made it possible for him to pocket most chances that came his way.

On the other hand, he could be as athletic as the best slip fielders when wanted to and Gilchrist's catch in the 2005 Ashes is perhaps his best. Strauss stands at number 2 in England's all-time list with 121 catches to his name in Test cricket.

#1 Wally Hammond

He was the only batsman in the world who was supposed to be anywhere near Sir Donald Bradman in the 1930s and according to many, Wally Hammond was arguably the greatest English batsman to have ever played Test cricket.

However, his outstanding abilities as a batsman often overshadow the fact that he was the greatest slip fielder that England has ever had. Len Hutton remarked that there was no other slip fielder who has as good as him and there have been similar comments lauding his abilities as a slip catcher.

Hammond's biggest strength as a slip fielder lay in his power of anticipation and in spite of an edge going to his left or right, Hammond almost always managed to reach the ball a split second ahead.

He never had to dive and his excellent catching abilities did the rest. In his 85 Test career, Hammon 110 catches.