Recently during a Women”s Big Bash league game in Australia between Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers, an incident took place that shocked everyone around the cricketing world.
Chasing a modest target of 121, the Sydney Sixers needed 3 runs off the last ball. But then, something bizarre happened that took everyone by surprise, on strike batter Sarah Alley was facing the last ball with 2 needed for a tie Sarah pushed the ball to short fine leg and took the single.
The fielder collected the ball and threw it to the wicketkeeper, Emma Inglis who gathered the throw and skied the ball above in jubilation, the other fielders came around her to join the celebrations but just then, Sarah Alley very smartly asked her partner Angela Reakes to come through for a second run, the run she completed and effectively tied the game.
The two umpires in the middle decided that the ball wasn”t dead once the wicketkeeper collected it and hence the game is officially tied at that point in time.
It triggered discussions and debates around the legality and fairness of the event as the law books were intriguingly checked to dissect the event.
MCC the laws makers of our great game, in fact, have written in the laws that, According to the law 20.1.1.1 The ball is actually dead when it”s finally settled in the hands of the wicketkeeper or the bowler.
Was the ball dead once it found the hands of the wicketkeeper? In this game”s case the umpires simply didn”t think so and hence the runs were awarded to the Sydney Sixers to upheld a tie on the last ball.
In fact, MCC has just recently in a statement confirmed that the umpires were right in this case to have considered the ball was in play and not dead. From the naked eye, it may seem that once the single was complete the two Sixers players gave the impression they”ve given up & been settling for a single but the judgment of the two umpire”s in the middle stayed and Sixers got their tie.
Eventually, the super over took place where Renegades finally settled the game in their favor above the Sixers.
It was a normal game up until the 39.5 overs into it but one final ball of the game brought it in the news & limelight for one bizarre incident that shocked and triggered everyone for a cricketing debate or two.
Social Media was moved by the event as well, many from various corners of the world made their views clear about it and distinct insights came across.
Watch Here:
😳 > INSANE! It doesn't get much crazier than this!
Incredibly intelligent cricket from Sarah Aley on the final ball of our innings forces a SUPER OVER against @RenegadesWBBL! 🙈#smashemsixers pic.twitter.com/WG5ofYAMWF
— Sydney Sixers WBBL (@SixersWBBL) January 3, 2018
– by Kashish Chadha