Run Out Or Not? This Video Of A Confused Umpire Will Make You ROFL

News18

13-05-2025

Last Updated:
A strange dead-ball call from the umpire left social media users debating a run-out incident from a cricket match after a clip went viral.
A bizarre moment from a cricket match has gone viral, sparking intense debate across social media platforms. Shared by the parody Twitter account Richard Kettleborough, the clip has left fans divided as they try to determine whether the batter involved was out or not out. In the video, a batter attempts a slog sweep off a fast bowler but fails to connect properly, sending a top-edge looping towards the wicketkeeper. Initially, the striker calls for a quick single but quickly retreats to his crease. However, the non-striker, responding to the original call, races down the pitch and finds himself stranded.
Taking advantage of the confusion, the fielding side dislodges the stumps and appeals for a run-out. But in a surprising twist, the on-field umpire rules it a dead ball, giving the batter a reprieve and triggering a storm of reactions online.
Alert to the run-out opportunity with the two players stranded at the batting end, a fielder behind the wicketkeeper collects and throws the ball to the bowler, who then dislodges a bail before putting it back on top of the stumps. While the bowler and one of the fielders thought they had completed the run-out, an umpire strangely gave the batter a respite and called it a dead-ball before this batter eventually rushed to the bowling end.
The overall clip of the incident left the internet users puzzled, forcing them to put their thinking caps on and check the game's laws to verify the decision the umpire made. 'Tricky one," wrote one user to sum up the situation, before another took a clear side in the matter: 'Not Out Because Bells not Down." Many users agreed with the not out call made by the standing umpire. They reasoned that the bowler touching the bails with his hands was the main cause of the not-out call. 'Not out …you can't touch the bails reason: many incidents the ball may hit the stumps but bails may not come out," wrote one user.
But one cricket-specific account made it a point to thoroughly verify the decision with ICC regulations and cited the game's laws to suggest the umpire had gotten the call wrong. 'That's out. The wicket was broken fairly by the fielder," wrote this user, citing a screenshot of the laws, with focus on Law 29.1 that explains what constitutes the 'wickets broken' in cricket.
That's out. The wicket was broken fairly by the fielder (see 29.2.1.5). Also, why is the umpire signally dead ball? There's no signal in cricket in "not out". https://t.co/9gKYhB3u23 pic.twitter.com/kbW9cl8X8K
— cricketingview (@cricketingview) May 12, 2025
'The wicket is broken when at least one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or one or more stumps are removed from the ground," says the ICC-adopted law. Since the bowler held the ball in his hand while taking the bails off, the batter was indeed out.
First Published:
May 13, 2025, 16:05 IST