Josh Hazlewood has called for a little-known rule to be changed after his Test teammate Michael Neser pulled off a bizarre – but legal – catch playing for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.
Late in Sunday’s match with the Sydney Sixers, batter Jordan Silk (41 runs off 23 deliveries) slogged to the deep where Neser was waiting.
But as the ball flew above his head, the paceman could not complete the catch in the field of play, so instead juggled the ball over the boundary rope to keep it alive.
With the ball still in the air, Neser gave chase, jumping from behind the boundary rope and batting it back to the field of play, where he took a catch.
Given Neser’s first contact with the ball was in the field of play and he had neither of his feet on the ground when he touched the ball outside the boundary rope, his catch stood and the Heat held on to win by 15 runs.
The Marylebone Cricket Club rules state: “The ball in play is to be regarded as being grounded beyond the boundary if a fielder, grounded beyond the boundary, touches the ball (or if) a fielder, after catching the ball within the boundary, becomes grounded beyond the boundary while in contact with the ball, before completing the catch.”
In October 2013, the MCC tweaked the rule to allow for catches like Neser’s. Previously, a fielder’s last point of contact with the ground could not be outside the field of play as they attempted a catch.
Neser’s catch sparked debate, with former Australia T20 player Cameron Boyce blasting the “bad rule” on Twitter, while Sydney Thunder captain Chris Green applauded it.
“I’m personally a fan as it promotes spectacular boundary catches that we love to see,” Green tweeted.
Hazlewood, though, did not agree. “I didn’t like it all,” he told reporters. “I think it should be back to the old rule where you have to be in the field of play and that’s your last step before you throw it back in. It was something different and ‘Ness’ is pretty cluey with the rules. It worked for them last night.
“Players are definitely aware of the rule. I’m not sure when (the rule) changed but it was a few years back.”
But Hazlewood admitted as long as the rule was in place, he too would take advantage of it if given the chance. “If it’s in the rules, go for it,” he said.
Hurricanes overcome Lynnsanity strike
The Hobart Hurricanes have overcome a brutal knock from resurgent Big Bash League blaster Chris Lynn to notch a crucial win over the Adelaide Strikers.
Lynn hit a 58-ball 87 on Monday night at Blundstone Arena, his highest score of the summer, as the Strikers posted 6-177.
The innings was enough to make Lynn the tournament’s leading scorer, but not to beat the Hurricanes who responded in kind.
Openers Caleb Jewell (54 from 28 balls) and Ben McDermott (53 from 33) got the chase off to a flying start with an 86-run partnership off 49 balls.
Jewell, named player of the match, opened ahead of Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short.
He clobbered four sixes, including one off gun spinner Rashid Khan (1-43 from four overs) who was unusually expensive.
Short and Tim David both finished unbeaten on 27, guiding the Hurricanes to 3-178 with 16 balls to spare.
“It was probably the first time (this season) we’ve put 40 overs together. It was nice to get it all together,” Jewell said.
“Hopefully after (the win) we can move forward. Hopefully this is the start of a bit of a run for us.”
Jewell was a late inclusion after Shadab Khan pulled out with a finger problem.
The win, the Hurricanes’ third from six matches, lifts them off the bottom of the table.
The Strikers, meanwhile, have lost four straight after a 3-0 start to the tournament.
Lynn, who was let go by the Brisbane Heat in the off-season, earlier whacked nine boundaries and three sixes after the Strikers won the toss and elected to bat.
He fell in the final over to a sharp outfield catch from Jewell off the bowling of young seamer Mitch Owen.
Lynn shared a 72-run partnership with Matthew Short (38 from 26 balls) after the loss of opener Henry Hunt early.
He upped the ante late alongside New Zealand import Colin de Grandhomme (30 from 18), who provided a cameo.
Lynn took a particular liking to Short in the 14th over, hitting two fours and a six in an over that went for 16 runs.
The Strikers, who opted to rest the tournament’s leading wicket-taker Henry Thornton, could have an injury concern with Peter Siddle appearing to bowl in pain.
Lynn says he’s in a better headspace following a change of clubs, declaring he wants to “make some teams pay” in his remaining games for the Adelaide Strikers.
It was his first half century in seven BBL games this season, building on scores in the 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Lynn, the all-time highest run-scorer in the BBL, joined the Strikers after being let go by the Brisbane Heat following a lean 2021/22 when he made 215 runs at an average of 17.9.
So far this season, he’s averaging 37.14 with a strike rate of 129, not far from his Twenty20 career strike rate of 145.
“I’m just in a much better headspace to be honest,” Lynn said about the move to Adelaide. “Just needed a change of scenery. It’s really refreshing.”
The 32-year-old won’t see out the full BBL season though, having signed to play in the UAE’s new T20 competition. It means he has just four games left for the Strikers.
Lynn played a support role early with Matt Short (38 from 26 balls) in the seven-wicket loss to the Hurricanes before upping the tempo as the innings progressed.
“I know I’ve still got plenty of runs left in me. That’s the main thing, I still feel sharp. I’d still like a couple of man-of-the-match awards,” he said.
“I feel like I’m building nicely (and) I’m going to make a couple of teams pay.”
The Strikers meet Hobart again at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
“By no means is it desperate, or panic stations. We came up against a quality (Hurricanes) batting line-up,” Lynn said.
Maddinson out long term with ACL tear
Nic Maddison’s cricket season is over after scans confirmed a ruptured ACL for the Melbourne Renegades captain.
The left-hander was hurt in the second over of the Perth Scorchers’ BBL run-chase at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, slumping to the ground after twisting his left leg when he turned to return a throw.
The 31-year-old was in immediate pain before he was eventually carted from the field, with scans on Monday confirming the long-term injury.
Replacement captain Aaron Finch said the noticeably patchy playing surface was “a bit sandy and a lot slower than I’ve seen it in the past” but was unsure whether it played a role in Maddinson’s injury.
He will miss the rest of the Sheffield Shield and BBL seasons for Victoria and the battling Renegades respectively, who have lost four straight games since beginning their campaign with three victories.
Maddinson blazed 87 in a season-opening win over Brisbane but had managed just three runs in his last five BBL innings, including three ducks.
He will leave a leadership void in Victoria’s Shield side too, having captained his adopted state for the first time last year after a successful move from NSW in 2018 reinvigorated his career.
“It’s very unfortunate news for Nic, he has been one of the leading batters in the country across the Sheffield Shield over recent years,” Cricket Victoria’s cricket boss Graham Manou said.
“Nic has also been an outstanding leader within our young squad and I have no doubt he will continue to play that role through his rehabilitation process.
“We’re right behind Nic, we’ll provide our full support in any way we can.”
Maddinson scored a century on his Shield debut as an 18-year-old for the Blues, made his T20 international debut two years later and played three Tests in 2016.
Cut from NSW at the end of the 2017-18 season, Maddinson made the move south and scored seven centuries in his next 31 first-class games to surge back into the reckoning for higher honours.
“Our thoughts are with Nic and we will continue to support him as he works through his recovery,” Melbourne Renegades general manager, James Rosengarten said.
“Nic has been a fantastic leader for our team since taking over the captaincy last season and he will continue to play a big role in this team moving forward.”
Kiwis hold upper hand over Pakistan in Karachi
The offspin of Agha Salman has led a Pakistani fightback after Devon Conway’s fourth Test century had appeared to put New Zealand in control on the opening day of the second Test in Karachi.
New Zealand were cruising at 1-234 on the back of Conway’s 122 before Salman picked up 3-55 and the Black Caps finished the day at 6-309.
Tom Blundell was not out on 30 while Ish Sodhi, who made a career-best 65 in the drawn first test, was unbeaten on 11.
Conway had century stands with Tom Latham (71) and Kane Williamson (36) as New Zealand dominated the opening two sessions after Tim Southee won the toss and elected to bat.
But they lost five wickets for 45 runs after tea as Salman pegged back New Zealand back on a wicket that had enough grass to tempt Pakistan to go with three fast bowlers — Mir Hamza, recalled Hasan Ali and fit-again Naseem Shah — and just one specialist spinner Abrar Ahmed.
“The surface (pitch) certainly got a little bit drier which offered a little bit more spin for the turners,” Conway said.
“The game is certainly evenly poised, we did win those first two sessions, but the way Pakistan have bounced back in that last session certainly brought them back in the game.”
Salman ignited the collapse when he found the outside edge of Conway’s bat to end his 191-ball innings. In a 12-over spell after tea he then hit the off stump of Daryl Mitchell (3) with his turning delivery before successfully overturning a caught behind decision through TV referral against Henry Nicholls (26).
“I knew there could be a responsibility on me as a second spinner for which I was ready,” Salman said.
“The wicket had a bite (for spinners) after tea as it got dried up and it troubled them.”
Earlier, Conway and Latham contributed a second successive century opening stand in the two-match series before Naseem Shah (2-44) brought the lone success in the first two sessions when he had Latham trapped leg before.
Naseem was rewarded for his reverse swing when he also found the outside edge of Williamson’s bat and was brilliantly snapped by diving Sarfaraz Ahmed in front of first slip soon after Salman had dismissed Conway.
>Cricket News
%20(3).jpeg)
0 Comments