Cricket: Steve Smith takes stunning catch to dismiss Tom Latham

Steve Smith and Alex Carey of Australia celebrate a wicket. Photo / Getty

Former captain Steve Smith hasn't taken long to make his mark in his return to the Australian cricket side.

Smith has taken a superb catch in his return with the Australian XI against the New Zealand XI today, diving to take a one-handed grab to dismiss Tom Latham in the World Cup warm-up game in Brisbane.

Facing Australian fast bowler Jason Behrendorff, Latham was surprised by the bounce, chipping the ball to mid-on, where Smith sprinted to take a low, one-handed sprawling grab.

Steve Smith and Alex Carey of Australia celebrate a wicket. Photo / Getty

The catch saw the New Zealand XI reduced to 155-5, and was part of a collapse as the Kiwis tumbled from 138-2 to 215 all out.

Will Young (60 from 69 balls) and Tom Blundell (77 off 102 balls) were the only two players to pass 15 for the NZ XI, adding 137 for the third wicket after combining at 2-2 after openers George Worker and Henry Nicholls were both dismissed for ducks.

However, once Nathan Coulter-Nile dismissed the pair, there was little other resistance. Latham made just 13, Jimmy Neesham 15, and Daryl Mitchell was stumped for five in the middle order, and only a late partnership between Todd Astle (15) and Hamish Bennett (11 not out) dragged New Zealand past 200.

Final batting card for the New Zealand XI at Allan Border Field. #AUSXIvNZXI pic.twitter.com/Kxr0MaD68O

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) May 6, 2019

Behrendorff, Coulter-Nile and Pat Cummins ended with three wickets apiece for the Australia XI, who welcomed back the disgraced pair of Smith and David Warner for the first time following their ball-tampering scandal and their subsequent 12-month bans.

Aaron Finch is the captain of the Australian XI with Warner set to bat at three in a surprise move, given Warner has played almost all of cricket as an opener. The move will allow the combination of Finch and Usman Khawaja to continue at the top of the order after they performed strongly in recent ODI campaigns against India and Pakistan.

The Australian XI is full of World Cup squad members while in contrast the New Zealand side features just five players who will make the trip to England and Wales at the end of the month.