It was the one-handed catch that helped Steve Smith and the Aussies effectively place one hand on the Ashes urn.

The stand-in skipper produced a moment of brilliance on Day 4 in Brisbane, pouching a superb effort to break England’s rare show of resistance and set Australia on the path to victory.

WATCH IT IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

With Ben Stokes and Will Jacks batting for 34 overs together to begin Day 4, and their partnership closing in on 100, Smith stepped up to trigger a moment of magic - and spark an England collapse.

Michael Neser drew an edge from Jacks, and Smith moved swiftly to his left at first slip to give himself a chance.

The veteran sneaked his fingers under the ball before it hit the turf and held on tight to send the Gabba crowd into raptures - and spark a superb celebration as he ran a victory lap.

“Degree of difficulty: Off the charts,” Seven analyst Trent Copeland said.

“That is as good as you’ll see.”

The ripping effort set the wheels in motion to burst through the lower order, with Neser grabbing the key scalp of Stokes caught behind just two overs later.

The Queenslander finished with a well-deserved 5-42 to justify his inclusion at the expense of Nathan Lyon in what was viewed as a divisive call on Day 1.

England’s late collapse of 4-17 left Australia chasing a tiny target of just 65 to take a 2-0 series lead.