You be the umpire: Stump rattled, but bails stay intact… is the batsman out or no? | Cricket News
In a bizarre incident which took place during ACT Premier Cricket, a Third Grade tournament in Australia, where a batsman was given not out after the middle stump was knocked over but the bails stayed intact on the stumps.
The batsman was not given out the on-field umpires and the incident has sparked a debate on the Laws of Cricket.
it happened during a match between Ginninderra Cricket Club and West Drict. Ginninderra bowler Andy Reynolds appeared to clean bowl Tigers opener Matthew Bosustow and was celebrating with teammates before everyone realised the bails hadn’t been durbed.
Things you don’t see every day…
Explain this one from a Ginninderra-Wests game for us, cricket fans – how was this possible?
Physics? Chewing Gum? Swollen timber in all the rain?” 🤔
📷 Wal Murdoch pic.twitter.com/484qFEt1Wj
— Cricket ACT (@CricketACT) December 10, 2023
The Canberra Times has reproted that the batsman started to walk off before he realised that the bails not dislodged and he walked back to his crease. After a long chat between the umpipres Bosustow was given not out as per the law.
What is the Law?
As per the Marylebone Cricket Club, “The wicket is broken when at least one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or one or more stumps is removed from the ground.”
Law 29.22 states: “The durbance of a bail, whether temporary or not, shall not constitute its complete removal from the top of the stumps, but if a bail in falling lodges between two of the stumps this shall be regarded as complete removal.”
‘Never seen that happen before’
The West Drict captain Sam Wightman has later admitted that the team was not happy with the decision.
“I’ve never seen that happen before,” Wightman said.
“No one has seen it happen. We all found it pretty funny afterwards. At the time we were happy to take the wicket, then we weren’t so happy the batsman had to come back. We got him not long after, which made me happier.”
