Quick Tip: You Are the Umpire
So you think you know your Laws of cricket?
If you do, well done, most players and coaches are pretty hazy on the details. I can't remember the last time I went through a season without hearing someone clearly stating a Law that was utterly wrong.
So here is a test for you. A couple of questions to see if you know your stuff.
"When batsmen are running and a throw comes in, hitting his body or bat and flying away, is the batsman able to run again?"
Thanks to Dinusha for the question.
What do you think?
What usually happens is that the batsman does not run. But what if the team need two runs to win off the last ball and it happens when running the first?
Leave a comment and tell me what you think.
The second tester is a variation on the first, from Rohit:
"We had a recent game where the batsman hit the ball directly to a fielder and did not go for a run. The fielder (not going for a run out) threw the ball to the bowler and the bowler missed the ball. The batsmen stole a run. Is this allowed?"
Again, what do you think?
Leave a comment a let us know what you think should happen, and what the Laws actually say. If I get enough comments I'll give you the answer.
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Comments
The ball is dead, if in the opinion of the umpire, both sides considered it to be dead. Its a kind of circular law. Like how Ian Bell wasn't run out against India.
When batsmen are running and a throw comes in, hitting his body or bat and flying away, is the batsman able to run again?
Answer: The question is not clear. There are various possibilities. If the ball is not dead, the batsman can continue running. In case body or bat comes as a result of batsman obstructing the field, then he could be dismissed. If the ball is dead, then batsman cannot run. So please specify the question clearly.
We had a recent game where the batsman hit the ball directly to a fielder and did not go for a run. The fielder (not going for a run out) threw the ball to the bowler and the bowler missed the ball. The batsmen stole a run. Is this allowed?
Answer: It depends on whether the umpire has come to a conclusion that the ball is dead. If the ball is not dead, then the run is allowed.
In the second case, I think we would have to assume that the ball was not dead, and nor would it have been dead in the eyes of the batsman if it was not _finally_ settled, therefore my view would be that the run should be allowed, but there's a question of timing over this as well - if the fielder has picked the ball up and is walking back to his mark, shining it on his trousers, then I think we would expect that everyone considers the ball to be dead; if he has simply run in from his position, picked it up and thrown it to the bowler standing over the stumps at the bowler's end and the bowler misses it, then it would be hard to argue that the ball is dead. The bowler would presumably have taken the opportunity to effect a run out had the batsman not been in his ground (even if merely returning from backing up).
However, I think the laws say that this is up to the umpire to make the judgement.
Going back to the first question, there has to be a question of intent and of whether the batsman was deliberatley obstructing the field. In games without appointed umpires, you aren't going to get a dismissal for obstruction unless it is completely blatant, and common courtesy tends to dictate that if the ball comes off your bat/person and deflects away from a fielder whilst in the act of running, you shouldn't take advantage of it (unless it was a deliberate shy at the body with intent to hurt - in which case (a) too right you're going to take advantage; and (b) the game's not fun any longer). Under the laws of the game the umpire would have to decide whether there was a deliberate attempt to obstruct.
I agree with whatever you say. The question has lot of openness.
For the first one, I'd say in the spirit of cricket you probably wouldn't run again, and the second one would depend on what the fielder did - if he holds on to the ball before throwing then the ball would be dead and you couldn't run, but if he releases it immediately then the ball is still live and you should take the run.
I have another question about some of the more obscure laws of cricket. At the end of last season, I was playing a match in the rain, and the area around the crease had been churned into mud, so I started batting 4 yards or so outside my crease, beyond the white lines that indicate the bowler danger zone. This then lead to a heated debate about whether I was allowed to bat out there. His argument was I was damaging the pitch, so when his side batted they were at a disadvantage, but I disagreed and batted there anyway. Was I right to stand my ground?
You are very much within your rights to stand outside the popping crease, but it does not mean that you can always do that. The nature of the pitch is also to be considered. If the umpires consider that your standing there has potential to damage the pitch, you can be warned and subsequently fielding team can be awarded 5 penalty runs as well.
There are so many things that can happen, the bowler can run you out even before entering his delivery stride, any full toss ball may not be declared No ball.