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“I would have walked”- Fans react to rare incident of ball hitting stumps but batter being not-out

The bizarre incident has set social media abuzz

Dec 10, 2023 5:57 pm

A dramatic moment unfolded during a recent cricket match when a ball struck the stumps, yet the batsman was incredibly ruled not out. The incident, shared by the South Yarra Cricket Club, highlighted the intricacies of the game’s regulations and how fortune can sometimes favour the courageous.

While the impact disturbed the stump, the bails remained miraculously perched on top, defying gravity. Thankfully for the batter, Law 29 of the Laws of Cricket stipulates that the wicket is only considered broken if either one bail is completely removed or a stump is uprooted. Since neither of these conditions were met in this instance, the umpire was obliged to declare the batsman not out.

This incident serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between skill and chance in cricket. While a well-executed shot can result in a glorious dismissal, sometimes, even the most accurate delivery can be thwarted by a quirk of fate. For the batter in question, this unexpected stroke of luck undoubtedly provided a much-needed moment of relief amidst the competitive pressure of the match.

The Law on being bowled

In cricket, a batsman is not out even if the ball hits the stumps if the bails do not fall or the stump does not come out. Law 29.2 states that the wicket is broken fairly in the following condition:: a bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or a stump is struck out of the ground, by the ball.

This means that for the batsman to be out, one of the following needs to happen:

At least one bail must be completely removed from the top of the stumps. This means the bail must be completely dislodged and not just lifted or disturbed. Even if the bail is partially dislodged and remains balanced on the stumps, it is not considered out.
One or more stumps must be completely removed from the ground. This means the stump must be lifted out of the socket and not just dislodged or tilted.
The ball must directly hit the stumps or bail for the wicket to be broken. If the ball hits another object like the batsman’s body or equipment and then dislodges the bail or stump, the batsman is not out.

It is important to note that the following situations do not constitute the wicket being broken:

The bails are dislodged but land back on the top of the stumps.
The bails are only disturbed or lifted but not completely removed.
The ball hits the stumps but does not dislodge the bails or remove a stump.
The ball hits another object first and then dislodges the bails or removes a stump.

In all these situations, the batsman will be given not out.

https://twitter.com/robinjescott/status/1733805025866944675

It’s not out, correct decision. Bails aren’t off and not stump out of the ground.

— Bladey McBladeface (@Bladey1889) December 10, 2023

That's the fault of the umpires for not ensuring the stumps and nails arent so tightly packed that this can happen…

— Cheese of the Beijing Ducks (@Simonashmore5) December 10, 2023