‘Is that allowed?’: Sheffield Shield moment sparks confusion
There were confusing scenes in the Sheffield Shield on Tuesday after Jake Weatherald was awarded a run despite hitting the ball twice.
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There were confusing scenes in the Sheffield Shield contest between South Australia and Tasmania after Redbacks opener Jake Weatherald was awarded a run despite hitting the ball twice.
In the 34th over of South Australia’s second innings at Adelaide Oval, Weatherald defended a full delivery back towards veteran Tasmanian seamer Jackson Bird, but because the left-handed batter had stepped out of his crease, Bird quickly retrieved the Kookaburra and flung it at the stumps.
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Weatherald, who was standing between Bird and the pegs, instinctively defended his body with his bat, and the ball ricocheted off his willow towards square leg.
The batters scampered through for a cheeky single, and after initially apologising for the wayward throw, a bemused Bird threw his arms up in protest, asking the umpires whether the run should be awarded.
“Is that allowed? I don’t think so,” the commentator said.
A colleague responded: “That’s fair enough, he has thrown it back at him … he is protecting himself and he isn’t trying to hit it.”
According to the Laws of Cricket, if the umpires adjudicated that Weatherald was not obstructing the fielding side, the run was legitimate.
Weatherald went on to score 52, the 19th half-century of his first-class career, before Tasmanian spinner Jarrod Freeman dismissed him LBW in the 40th over.
The topsy-turvy Sheffield Shield contest is poised for a thrilling conclusion, with Tasmania requiring 131 runs to secure a much-needed win on Wednesday.
South Australia was reeling at 7/105 in the second innings before Redbacks recruit Ben Manenti smacked a career-best 85 not out, steering the hosts towards 252 and setting Tasmania a target of 235 for victory.
Veteran seamer Peter Siddle and all-rounder Beau Webster each claimed four wickets, with the former finishing with match figures of 8/96 from 37 overs.
Tasmanian openers Tim Ward and Caleb Jewell put the Tigers in a commanding position at stumps, finishing day three at 0/104 with a further 131 runs needed for victory.
“We had a really good middle session where we batted very well, but a poor batting display in the first session then a really poor bowling effort in the last,” South Australian coach Jason Gillespie said at stumps, cricket.com.au reports.
“Our bowling coach Luke Butterworth has been hammering that we need to be on from ball one, let’s not give away gift runs.
“We bowl well in patches but then we gift easy runs, and it’s just unacceptable.”
The final day of the Sheffield Shield contest gets underway on Wednesday morning at 11am AEDT.
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