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Cricket fans up in arms over bowler's 'dreadful' act of sportsmanship

Sam Goodwin
·Sports Editor
·4-min read
The bowler, pictured here appealing to the umpire after catching the non-striker unawares.
The bowler appealed to the umpire after catching the non-striker unawares. Image: East Anglian Premier League

Cricket fans have been left heavily divided over a controversial dismissal in England that has sparked intense backlash on social media.

The East Anglian Premier League, which is the top level of cricket for recreational players in the region, tweeted a video of the dismissal on Monday - featuring Aussie bowler Bryce Street.

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In the 16-second clip, non-striker Nikhil Gorantla can be seen being run-out after batting partner Alex Peirson plays the ball straight back to the bowler Street.

Street fields the ball from the batter before threatening a throw at the stumps at the striker's end.

Upon realising that Peirson is still in his crease, Street turns and walks back down the pitch towards his mark.

However the Aussie bowler soon realises that non-striker Gorantla is actually standing marginally outside his crease and there is no part of his bat behind the line.

Street then tosses the ball at the stumps at the non-striker's end before appealing to the umpire, who gives Gorantla out.

The bowler, pictured here throwing down the stumps at the non-striker's end while walking back to his mark.
The bowler threw down the stumps at the non-striker's end while walking back to his mark. Image: East Anglian Premier League

Gorantla appears absolutely stunned that Street threw at the stumps, let alone appealed to the umpire.

The tweet by the East Anglian Premier League has sparked fierce debate amongst cricket fans, with the majority believing the ball should have been dead once Street turned to walk back to his mark.

England legend David Lloyd even shared his two cents.

"Oh dear …. Oh dear …..," Lloyd tweeted, clearly disagreeing with the actions of the bowler.

Cricket fans up in arms over bowler's 'horrendous' act

Under the ICC's official rules, the ball becomes dead when: "It is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or the bowler."

Furthermore, "the ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler's end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.

But crucially in this instance, "whether the ball is finally settled or not is a matter for the umpire alone to decide."

While many thought the umpire should have deemed the ball 'dead', the fact remains that he didn't and the dismissal was therefore legal.

However some suggested the fielding team's captain should have withdrawn the appeal considering the non-striker was in no way, shape or form attempting a run and thought he was inside his crease.

"Whether the ball is finally settled is up to the bowler’s end umpire. He decided it wasn’t, so it’s not. I would have come to a different view, but I wasn’t on the field…" one pundit wrote.

Others described it as 'horrendous' and 'dreadful' sportsmanship.

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