Alex Ross became the first to be dismissed for obstructing the field in BBL. (Source: Twitter)
Batsmen getting out for obstructing the field is quite a rare occurrence on the cricket pitch. Indeed, there have only been six dismissals in ODI cricket that has come out of a batsman obstructing the field and it has happened just once in the history of Test cricket. Now, T20 leagues has got an instance too. On Wednesday, during a match in Australia’s Big Bash League between Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat, Alex Ross became the first batsman to be dismissed for obstructing the field in the short history of the league.
Heat were chasing a total of 180 set by the Hurricanes and Ross was was on 27 off 19. He was going for the second run but struggled to get back to the crease. The throw came in and struck him as he slid in to make ground before hitting the wicket. The umpires went upstairs for a runout. That was ruled out as Ross had made his ground before the ball hit the stumps but the third umpire then declared him out for obstructing the field.
The first obstructing the field in BBL history #BBL07 pic.twitter.com/uG1o1AlbWp
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) 10 January 2018
It may not have been a moment that decided the match as it went right down to the last ball but Heat did end up losing by three runs. Hurricanes skipper George Bailey seemed to be in aggreement with the decision but it has attracted polarised reactions after that. Heat captain Brendon McCullum panned the decision and said that Bailey had “missed an opposrtunity” to uphold the spirit of the game. “I did the Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey lecture a couple of years ago and I openly admitted my own mistakes about not adhering to what was a great opportunity to, I guess, hold the spirit of cricket up where it needs to sit. We’re not righteous about our stance on spirit of the game. But I think every now and then you get an opportunity to stand up for the spirit of the game. Tonight, I think the Hurricanes and George (Bailey) missed an opportunity.”
He also stated that he didn’t believe that, even accroding the laws, Ross was willfully trying to obstruct the field of play and was instead trying to get out of the wat of the ball.
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