Ask the Laws Department: X (Creases)
MCC are the Guardians of the Laws of cricket.
In conjunction with Wisden Cricketer - the tenth 'Ask the Laws Department' considers whose creases is whose?
'First claim'
The recent ODI series between Pakistan and Australia saw a controversial run out where both batsmen ended up at the same end and there was uncertainty over which batsman should have been given out.
In the event, and without checking with the 3rd umpire, the wrong batsman was sent back to the pavilion. Which is a batsman’s ground is covered by Law 29.2, which is summarised as follows: (we use "he" or "his" to help in this explanation but of course the same laws apply for women cricketers):
There are three criteria for judging in the normal situation which batsman has a particular ground as his ground. These are:
Possession: he is in the ground and the other batsman is not.
First claim: he was within the ground before the other batsman arrived there.
Nearness: they are both in mid-pitch and, of the two batsmen, he is the one nearer to the ground. If the batsmen are level, a batsman’s ground is whichever was nearer immediately prior to their drawing level.
Sussex's Murray Goodwin is run-out short of his ground In the case where both batsmen are in the same ground, it would be ‘first claim’ that would apply. Who arrived there first?
An important point is that if a ground belongs to one batsman, then the other ground by definition belongs to the other batsman, unless a runner is involved, which is covered by Law 29.2(e).
A batsman who has a runner but who is not himself the striker will stand behind the striker’s end umpire and become involved only if he handles the ball, obstructs the field or commits any other unfair act.
When he is the striker, however, his ground is always the one at the wicket-keeper’s end, but he has to share this ground with one of the other two (runner and non-striker).
Which of them, at any particular moment, can also count the wicket-keeper’s end as his ground is decided exactly as it would have been if they were the only two batsmen.
England's Alastair Cook sets off for a quick run If, for example, the injured striker hits a ball to the outfield and the runner and the non-striker attempt to run two, both the runner and the injured striker must be in their ground at the wicket-keeper’s end when the wicket is put down.
The injured striker must therefore make sure that he returns to his ground after playing the ball, as he can be run out at any stage, even if his runner or the non-striker are in their ground at the wicket-keeper’s end.
If there are two injured strikers and therefore two runners, the same principles apply but the chances for confusion and run outs undoubtedly increase!
Ask the umpire
- with MCC Laws sub-committee
"It was the last ball of the game and the batting side needed four runs to win. The wicket-keeper dropped back to a 'long stop' position on the boundary and fielded the ball while still wearing his gloves. Is that legal?"
MCC says:
The wicket-keeper: "The only member of the fielding side permitted to wear gloves" It is legal for the wicket-keeper to stand on the boundary but he must not field the ball while wearing his pads and gloves.
Law 40.1 states: "The wicket-keeper is the only member of the fielding side permitted to wear gloves and external leg guards... If by his actions and positioning it is apparent to the umpires that he will not be able to discharge his duties as a wicket-keeper, he shall forfeit this right."
If he is standing on the boundary, the umpires would consider that he is no longer in a position to act as wicket-keeper. Consequently fielding the ball with his gloves is illegal fielding.
The sanctions for this include awarding five penalty runs to the batting side. Although also the ball is not to count as one of the over, a further delivery will not be required since the five runs are sufficient for the batting side to win.
