There was an international match not many months ago between two sides whom I will term Team A and Team B (aka Erewhon and Ruritania), wherein a bowler from Team A dismissed a whole string of batters from Team B by using the so-called Mankad* method (the bowler fails to deliver the ball; instead she removes the bails at her end to run out the non-striker). Team A won the match.
I haven’t heard whether the government of Team B broke off diplomatic relations with its opposite number.
The real criminal in this matter is the Law which covers this point. At what moment is the non-striker deemed justified in leaving her crease? As the law stands, the umpire is duty-bound to raise a finger.
The law is there for a purpose. The non-striker might well start careering half-way down the pitch if it wasn’t in place.
But there are far too many half-and-half cases where common justice must be called into question.
Deepti Sharma’s action in running out Charlotte Dean, as England’s last pair were making a desperate effort to reach the Indian total, will be viewed in two directly conflicting ways:
1. She was totally justified in her action (see the law and the umpire’s finger)
2. It was a totally mischievous and devious way to ensure her team won a rare women’s match
on the most famous ground in the world in front of a large audience and larger TV viewership.
The sooner the ICC can bring more clarity to this situation the better. Pretty well every batter in every game of cricket ever played is likely to have been vulnerable to a Mankading of this sort, only the bowler was more intent on delivering the ball.
The MCC, which for many decades had sole responsibilty for the Laws of the Game, has submitted a request to the ICC (now sole guardian) to ‘destigmatise’ such run-outs.
It will have the evidence of its own eyes at Lord’s on 24 September about the likely success of a complete destigmatisation. Cheers battled with boos.
It made a sour contrast with the final appearance of the legendary Jhulan Goswami, for whom the England players lined up as a guard of honour. A golden duck was the unfortunate outcome.
*in 1947 Vinoo Mankad (India) ran out Australia’s Bill Brown in this fashion in the Sydney Test.
