When Mayu Pasupati pulled in an unfathomably brilliant catch, his name was written large into New Zealand cricket folklore.

On February 2, 2002, Wellington defeated Canterbury by 53 runs at the Basin Reserve, winning the State Shield one day cricket final. It was their first List A title in 11 years, and Mayu Pasupati shot to fame for one of the best catches seen on New Zealand soil.

Few cricketing moments transcend time.

Martin Crowe's 299 during the 1990-91 season, which featured a then world record 467 run partnership with Andrew Jones, is an obvious one. Brendon McCullum's 302 against India in 2014, becoming New Zealand's first triple-centurian, will be another. Richard Hadlee's 7-23 against India in 1976 is there too.

FAIRFAX NZ Mayu Pasupati made a habit of taking great catches in Wellington colours, and not just with his right hand. On this occasion he stretched out to claim the ball with his left.

But when you talk about feats of fielding excellence, there is one moment of absolute brilliance that leaps above the rest, even 15 years on.

It's the moment Mayu Pasupati, Wellington's Kiwi-Sri Lankan all-rounder known by team mates as The Pearl, sprinted around the boundary and leapt with one hand outstretched, taking a catch of the highest calibre.

In 2002, Wellington were a side eager for their first one day crown in a decade. The last time they tasted one day success was in 1991 when a side led by Martin Crowe won the old Shell Cup against Central Districts.

And so, with Canterbury fighting hard to stay in the game chasing 201 for victory, Wellington knew they were only a few moments from securing victory.

All they needed was to end the partnership between Aaron Redmond and Darron Reekers.

"Canterbury had been a little ahead of us in the game, I seem to remember," wicketkeeper Chris Nevin recalled.

"Redmond had been batting for a while and we really wanted another wicket to get on top."

Canterbury needed 97 from 105 balls when their moment came, but not in the way the players would have imagined.

"It was probably the worst ball I ever bowled in List A cricket," the bowler, Mark Jefferson, said of his next delivery.

The left-arm orthodox spinner threw up a waist-high full toss which was verging on being called a no-ball.

Redmond went down on one knee and swung hard towards the backward square-leg boundary, but failed to get the connection he would have wanted.

"It should have [gone for six]. It certainly should have done. But halfway there, going to the boundary, I thought there was half a chance here," Jefferson said.

"It wasn't quite going for six, and the rest is history."

Nevin remembers the ball well. "I remember thinking, that's going for six.

"I see Mayu running around the boundary, but there is no way he's going to get it. Then he dives and sticks out a hand and takes the catch.



Chris Nevin attempts a run out for the Wellington Firebirds. Photo: FAIRFAX NZ.

"I just, I'd never seen anything like it. I'd never seen a catch of that quality."

The man himself, Mayu Pasupati, still plays things down a little when remembering the catch.

"It was a fairly decent catch," Pasupati said, not trying to understate things, but doing so nonetheless.

"I would say, especially in terms of the context of the game, being a State Shield Final, I think it was the best catch I've taken.

"I mean, we used to do a lot of practice, which is why these things happen. But I think that given it was a State Shield final, whether or not it made a big difference to the result, I think it added to the whole occasion."

He remembers the catch itself much like his team mates.

"Jeffo threw up the big full toss, and I thought it was out, gotta be six, right, but it just kept on coming so I put a hand out, like you do.

"There it was in my hand. It actually landed in my two fingers and my thumb, that's what I caught it with. I remember looking at my hand and thinking, woah, that's all I have.

"I actually threw the ball over the boundary in celebration afterwards. Lucky it was called a catch, right, otherwise it would have been six."

Pasupati was a talented cricketer, blessed with natural athleticism. His specialty was one day cricket, where he made an impact more with his pace bowling than with his hard hitting with the bat.

At the time of the State Shield win, Pasupati was flatting with Jefferson, Glynn Howell and James Franklin in Wadestown, and Jefferson admitted he would have been on chores the following week.

"The Pearl was an outstanding athlete, and was known for that sort of thing," Jefferson said.



Mark Jefferson and Chris Nevin celebrate taking a wicket. Photo: FAIRFAX NZ.

"He could do a lot of things that not many people could do, you know. So athletic and fast, had a great arm and great hand eye."

Nevin has similar memories.

"He was always capable of something special with bat or ball.

"Sometimes he would come in and hit sixes from the first ball, and with the ball he was capable of taking some outstanding wickets. He also took the odd wicket with a full toss himself.

"But when I think of Mayu, I always go back to that catch."

It wasn't until later that night, as the team went from bar to bar in Wellington celebrating their success, that Pasupati realised how good his catch had been.



Captain Matthew Bell kisses the State Shield trophy after Wellington's win in 2002. Photo: FAIRFAX NZ

During a stint at one bar in town, the team watched the highlights of the game. For the first time Pasupati realised just how good his grab had been.

"In the moment you're just doing what you have to do," he said.

"Later that night... I saw it and thought, 'oh, s***, I did actually get off the ground a bit'. It was pretty cool.

"That year we spent a lot of time working on the team culture, and everyone was doing their part to be involved in what we wanted to do, which was win the cup.

"Across the board, everyone did their part in different parts of the tournament, and my catch was just another small part."

Pasupati went on to take other great catches in List A cricket, for Wellington and later for the Auckland Aces.

He took 12 one day catches in total in his 70 games, but none came close to the athleticism and importance of his grab in the State Shield final.

"Since then there have been a few times where people have randomly talked to me about it. People saying, 'I was there that day you took the catch', that sort of thing.

"It's always pretty special when people say that."

HOW TWITTER WOULD HAVE REACTED...

Of course, Twitter did not exist in 2002. Neither did Facebook, or Youtube, or any of those social media sites. Even Myspace was nonexistent.

But what if it did? Here is how the world would have reacted to Mayu Pasupati's stunning catch.

Early in the day, there would have been plenty of anticipation for the coming final...

Little did they know, by mid-afternoon there would be only one thing cricket fans were talking about...







Of course, some of those watching would see the flaws, and humour, in the moment...

Later that night, people would still be reacting to the catch as it went worldwide...

To reiterate, none of these tweets are real, but had Twitter been around in 2002, they may well have been.