Trent Boult's brilliant catch

Trent Boult's stunning boundary-line catch in the West Indies has set new standards in outfield acrobatics, with a one-handed take, flick and dive from beyond the boundary rope.

There had been confusion among cricket fans over whether the catch was legal given the New Zealander jumped from beyond the boundary rope to take the catch, however the Laws of Cricket are clear.

Boult first touched the hook shot from Kieron Pollard within the boundary, grabbing it one-handed in his right hand as he ran backwards. With his momentum about to take him over the rope, he flings the ball back up into the air before he comes to a stop beyond the boundary line.

From here, he leaps into the air, completes the catch and lands back in the field of play. Under Law 19.4, Ball beyond the boundary, which was updated in October 2013 for the explosion in boundary-line athleticism brought about by Twenty20 cricket, the catch is legal even though Boult jumped from beyond the boundary rope.

As long as the ball doesn't touch the ground beyond the boundary rope, or is touched by a player that is touching ground beyond the boundary rope, it is deemed to still be in play.

The catch is the latest in a string of boundary-line sizzlers that we have seen recently.

Aaron Finch and Adam Lyth (in video below) have combined in a two-man version of this twice in recent weeks for Yorkshire in England's domestic T20 competition, not just one, but twice.

Kieron Pollard, who was on the receiving end today, took his own boundary-line screamer during the Indian Premier League, showing impressive presence of mind and body control to gather himself before tripping over the boundary rope (in video below).

Chris Lynn, who is currently in action with Australia A didn't fall over the boundary line for his classic catch, twitsting and turning his body in mid-air to remain in the field of play, as seen below.

In fact, there's been so many great catches in recent times, Cricket.com.au put together a compilation of the best at the end of the Indian Premier League. 

There's some absolute screamers in the video below – it doesn't have to involve a boundary rope to be a classic! Definitely worth another watch.