A rising Aussie cricket star has landed himself in the middle of a fierce debate after he ran out a rival in bizarre circumstances.
Queensland and Australia A representative Bryce Street is spending the Aussie winter in England, playing for East Anglia Premier League side Frinton on Sea.
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On Saturday, Street was bowling his right arm medium pacers as Saffron Walden built to 1/117. After Alex Peirson blocked a ball back to Street he began heading back to his mark, only to realize non-striker Nikhil Gorantla was leaning on his bat out of his crease.
Street tossed the ball onto the stumps, appealed and the umpire gave Gorantla out.
Gorantla had appeared to ground his bat over the line before lifting it again, as the run out occurred.
The batter had no choice but to accept the umpire’s decision, dismissed for 32.
This was just the start of the drama. A video of the incident posted by the East Anglia Premier League was deleted as questions were raised by bewildered fans.
While it is not a good look, the act is legal by the laws of cricket as many of the issues come down to the umpire’s discretion.
One of the issues people had with the incident was that the ball was dead. Law 20.1.1 states: “The ball becomes dead when it is finally settled in the hands of the wicketkeeper or of the bowler.”
But Law 20.1.2 adds: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”
Law 20.2 continues: “Whether the ball is finally settled or not is a matter for the umpire alone to decide.”
Others believe it should have fallen foul under “fake fielding” of Law 41, which deals with unfair play.
Law 41.5 says: “It is unfair for any fielder willfully to attempt, by word or action, to distract, deceive or obstruct either batter after the striker has received the ball.
“It is for either one of the umpires to decide whether any distraction, deception or obstruction is wilful or not.”
Asked about the incident on Twitter, Laws of Cricket adviser to the MCC Jonny Singer said while it was legal, it may not have been right.
“Whether the ball is finally settled is up to the bowler’s end umpire. I decided it wasn’t, so it’s not. I would have come to a different view, but I wasn’t on the field,” Singer said.
Wickets fell regularly from there and Saffron Walden was all out for 218, with Street taking 4/49 from 18 overs.
The wicket was key as earlier this summer, Gorantla had hit a century and double century for Essex’s second XI.
Street also scored 101 not out of 106 balls in a stunning all-round performance, but it was overshadowed by his controversial act.
Street has played 26 first-class matches, tallying 1500 runs at an average of 36.58.
He is contracted for Queensland again in the 2022-23 Australian domestic season.
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