MCC Clarifies Dead-Ball Rule In Cricket

LONDON-The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodian of the Laws of Cricket, on August 14 clarified the dead-ball rule after umpires applied it differently in two matches in the ongoing ‘The Hundred’ in England, explaining what constitutes an “attempt to play the ball”.

The first instance occurred in the August 6 match between MI London and London Spirit, involving MI London’s Nicholas Pooran and Spirit captain Liam Livingstone. Livingstone stopped just before delivering the ball twice, and Pooran indicated he was not ready to face it as the bowler aborted his run-up.

When Livingstone again appeared to stop during his run-up, Pooran moved his bat away from the line of the delivery. The ball hit the stumps, but umpire Mike Burns deemed it a dead ball.

The second incident involved London Spirit’s Marizanne Kapp and Birmingham Phoenix’s Linsey Smith three days later. Kapp looked up as Smith delivered the ball and appeared not to be ready to face it. However, Kapp half-heartedly waved her bat at the ball and made contact.

Although the contact appeared instinctive rather than an attempt to score or defend, umpire Mark Newell ruled it a fair delivery, so it counted as one of the over.

The two decisions prompted confusion among fans, leading the MCC to clarify the law. According to it, “either umpire shall call and signal Dead-ball when the striker is not ready for the delivery of the ball and, if the ball is delivered, does not attempt to play it. Provided the umpire is satisfied that the striker had adequate reason for not being ready, the ball shall not count as one of the over.”

The MCC stressed two key factors: whether the batter attempted to play the ball and whether there was sufficient justification for the batter not being ready.

In Pooran’s case, the MCC said, “Pooran, perhaps knowing the Law, actively withdrew his bat from the line of the ball”. In Kapp’s case, it said she “instinctively prodded at the ball and made contact with it. As soon as she attempted to hit the ball – and note the Law talks about “attempting” to play the ball rather than actually making contact with it – the ball would not be Dead, and the ball will count in the over, as correctly identified by umpire Newell.”

The MCC added that if a batter does not attempt to play the ball, the umpire must decide whether there was a significant reason for the batter not being ready.

Under Law 41.10.1, “It is unfair for a batter to waste time. In normal circumstances, the striker should always be ready to take strike when the bowler is ready to start his/her run-up.”

The MCC noted that a batter can be justifiably unready if, for example, the bowler shortens their normal run-up, turns after walking back and immediately begins to run, or pauses during the delivery. The umpire must determine whether there is sufficient reason for the batter not to be ready.

“In the Pooran/Livingstone example, there was frustration on both sides and the natural rhythm of the over had been disrupted. Umpire Burns was correct in stating that the ball was Dead and should not count, and he would have been sensible to remind both players that the batter must not delay things and the bowler cannot overly rush things more than normal,” the MCC said. (IANS)