Paul Vautin's 'fluke' act at the Gabba still leaves cricket fans in awe
The State of Origin great still holds one of the great moments at the Gabba.
He won State of Origin series as a player and coach, represented his country, captained a premiership-winning team and fronted one of Australia's most popular TV shows. Yet, when people stop Paul "Fatty" Vautin in the street, it’s a catch taken in a testimonial cricket match 30 years ago that invariably comes up first in conversation.
Vautin was playing for the Allan Border XI against the Rod Marsh XI in Border's testimonial match at the Gabba on December 19, 1993, when he pulled off an extraordinary one-handed catch that left fans and genuine cricket stars open-mouthed. Vautin's former Queensland teammate Allan Langer served up a juicy full toss outside leg stump to ex-Wallaby Tim Horan, who swung hard and lofted the ball halfway to the boundary.
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Fatty takes the story from here. "My first thought was 's*it, I think I'm going to have to chase this'," he told Yahoo Sport Australia on the 30th anniversary of that catch.
"I've run 70-80m, the sun was in my eyes and I'm going 'this is a waste of time'. Then suddenly I think I might actually be able to get under it. I closed my eyes and stuck my right hand out."
Tony Greig, in commentary, provided the perfect soundtrack. He screamed: "That’s in the air. Who's underneath that one? This is going to be a catch is it, no? "Oh, what a beauty! Unbelievable! He's got underneath that one handed. Vautin's a legend." Co-commentator and Parramatta great Peter Sterling wryly remarked: "That is the greatest fluke in cricket history."
Tim Horan in disbelief over Paul Vautin catch
Horan, like the big crowd and huge television audience, was in state of disbelief. He would later tell the Sydney Morning Herald: "I still don't know how he caught that. But every time I see him (Vautin), I remind him that the end of my cricket career was the start of his media career."
Three decades on and people still bring the catch up. "I'm having dinner in a Japanese restaurant with (wife) Kim in Sydney and I bump into a bloke I know and he says I'm with someone who wants to meet you, it will only take two minutes," Vautin continued.
Everything about it is hilarious, Allan Langer bowling a shocking full toss to Tim Horan, Fatty catching it, all the while Tony Greig and Peter Sterling are calling it, Magic.
— Thirteen-A-Side (@13_A_Side_) July 21, 2023
"I walk to the table and there's the great Viv Richards. He puts out his hand and says 'Fatty Vautin…what about that catch'. It was the same when I met David Gower. He says "I fookin know you, you took that fookin catch'.
"When I was younger all I wanted to do was play Sheffield Shield for Queensland, so to get to play at the Gabba with all these cricketing superstars was a dream come true. It was a wonderful day just getting to meet these blokes. As for the catch, you'll never see caught Vautin, bowled Langer again in history."
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