While reading an article in cricinfo, I came to know few interesting incidents which happened in past due to an amusing rule in world cricket – “LOST BALL”. They look very funny and curious which made me to write about them.
As per Law 20 of the MCC ( Marylebone Cricket Club - which designs the laws of cricket), “If a ball in play cannot be found or recovered, any fielder may call Lost Ball. The ball then shall become dead”. And the runs scored by the batting side will be ‘the runs completed by the batsmen, together with the run in progress if they had already crossed at the instant of the call or 6 runs, whichever is the greater. Using this rule, batting side in the match scored unbelievable number of runs from a single ball. Here are some of those incidents –
1). During 1990s, in a club match in Australia, Garry Chapman hit the ball into a patch of long grass. While fielders struggled to find the ball, Garry and his partner Borrie started taking runs. They ran 1,2,3…8,9,…still running…15,16 and finally ran the 17 to make it an amazing world record of 17 runs from a single ball. After that, Umpire Vinny turned to the manual scoreboard and screamed ‘Scorers, it is seventeen runs!’ as there was no sign to signal 17J.He then later started explaining the opposition team about the intricacies of the 'Lost Ball' rule.
2). If we go little deeper into the history, in 1890s, there was a match going on between the Peckham Pushers and Camberwell Albion in England. Only 55 minutes of play were remaining and Pushers was looking for the draw as they have to score 130 runs. On the very first ball he faced, Pusher opener made it a big drive. And the ball went and wedged in the rook’s nest. While a fielder was getting the ball, which could be seen, and was therefore not lost, they ran a massive 93 runs. The Pushers eventually scored the remaining score with short time and won by four wickets.
3). And during the same time, similar scene happened which I consider the RAJINI of allJ. Still no one sure whether it’s a fiction or fact, but a mammoth 286 runs scored in one ball. In Western Australia, in a match between Victorial team and Scratch XI, the Victorian batsman hit the first ball to the sky and it got into three-pronged branch of a tall jarrah tree. The home team cried ‘lost ball’, but the umpired ruled out as the ball is still visible and cannot be considered as lost. The Victorians started running while the West Australians sent for an axe to cut down the tree. No axe being obtainable, somebody brought out a rifle, and the ball, after numerous misses, was shot down. The score on the one hit was 286, and the Victorians ‘stood’ [declared] on that, and put the other side in. The Victorians won.”
Not sure if latter two above are facts but former looks realistic. Nevertheless, they made me feel so curious that I thought of sharing them with you all.
Its so true when someone says ‘Cricket is a funny game’, as it brings these humorous incidents to happen captivating the use of the rules in the cricket book..JJ
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