Unusual dismissals in cricket you might not have heard of
A cricket dismissal occurs when the batsman is disallowed from continuing to bat anymore in an innings. We all know the common situations when a batsman is given out like caught, bowled, LBW, hit wicket, stumped and run out. But there are, in total, 10 ways in which a player can be declared 'out' by the umpire. Here's a look at the other four.
Hitting the ball twice
A batsman is declared 'out' if he hits the ball, which is in play, twice before the fielder touches the ball. However, the batsman can strike the ball twice to prevent it from hitting his stumps. Notably, in this case, the bowler doesn't get the credit for the wicket. However, no batsman has ever been declared out by this method in international Test cricket.
Leaving the field without being dismissed or injury
A batsman cannot continue his innings without the consent of the opposing team's captain if he leaves the field without being injured or incapacitated. The right term for this dismissal is 'retired' There are only two players in Test history who have been retired out. Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene walked off during a match against Bangladesh to "give other players a chance".
When the batsman comes in the way
'Obstructing the field' is another unusual type of dismissal. A batsman is declared out if, by action or words, he obstructs the fielding side or distracts them in any way. In Test history, only one player, England's Lee Hutton, has been given out in such a way in a match against South Africa in 1951. In ODIs, six batsmen have been dismissed this way.
When a batsman is timed out
When a batsman wilfully takes more than 3 minutes to reach the crease, or if a batsman is not ready on time to take to the field after a break, he is timed out. If the entire team causes a delay, the umpires can forfeit the match in favor of the opposition. Till now, no cricketer has been declared out in this manner.
The obsolete dismissal in cricket
The obsolete method of dismissal, handling the ball, is now covered under 'obstructing the field'. A batsman could be given out on an appeal if he handles the ball to alter the game in any way, other than hitting it or passing it to the fielders. However, the method was declared obsolete in 2017 amendments of the cricketing laws.
