Incredible Aussie cricket photo goes viral as batter has the luckiest escape in the history of the sport
- Insane scenes where Batman gets thrown into the middle stump but doesn't get dealt out
- According to the letter of the cricket laws, the decision was correct
- The Spirit of Cricket debate rages again as the batsman couldn't walk
Level cricket can often produce some unusual scenes, but one Melbourne batsman could hardly believe his luck when the umpires declared him not out despite being bowled into mid-stump.
A photo taken after birth shows the stumps with the leg and paws still upright and both braces appearing to be attached to each other and unbroken, while the middle stump is at a 45 degree angle.
The incident occurred during a third grade ACT competition when Western District played Ginninderra at Canberra's Reid Oval on Saturday.
Ginninderra bowler Andy Reynolds had seemingly bowled out Western District Tigers opener Matthew Bosustow, with the ball hitting the middle stump.
However, the bail remained undisturbed, leading to much confusion.
Bosustow wanted to leave the field, but realized he might not be out after all.
After a discussion between the referees and a revision of the rules, it was decided that Bosustow was not out.
The bizarre aftermath of the delivery saw the middle stump toppled but not dislodged from the ground, while the bail remained intact, meaning the batsman is technically not out
Unfortunately for the bowler, the laws of cricket support the batsman and the decision not to give him out was the right one.
According to the laws of cricket enforced by the Marylebone Cricket Club, to be dismissed a batsman must either have the bail completely removed or a tree stump completely uprooted from the ground.
Wests captain Sam Wightman was unimpressed at the time.
“I've never seen that happen before,” he said.
Although Bosustow was spared for the time being, his reprieve was short-lived as he was dismissed a few overs later.
'No one saw it happen. Afterwards we all thought it was quite funny. At that time we were happy to get the wicket, but then we were not so happy that the batsman had to come back. We got him not long after, which made me happier,” Wightman said.
While the decision was the right one, many cricket fans raised the Spirit of Cricket argument that raged during The Ashes this year, saying the batsman should have walked.
'Those are the rules. But it is the batsman's decision to loosen the bails and run or stay and hit a century. Decisions decisions. Love the game. What would you do?' one fan asked.
“I think I'd hit the stumps with my bat and walk away,” replied another.
“Surely you would walk?” asked a third.
A debate has arisen about the Spirit of Cricket, with several people saying the batsman should have walked
But many said the batsman had every right to hold his ground.
“I think the cricket gods thought he deserved another chance. Who can argue with that?' replied a cricket fan.
The strange incident quickly spread across social media, attracting international attention and over a million views on the 'ThatsSoVillage' Twitter account.
Despite the confusing play, Western District emerged victorious. The Lions scored 6-136 to restrict Ginninderra to 9-96 in the rain-affected match.
Reynolds, despite his eerie bowling incident, ended the day without a wicket. However, his teammate Cam Barnett managed to win the 4-29