What a catch! Controversial dismissal on the boundary divides Big Bash fans – so do YOU think the rule is fair?
- Hobart Hurricanes played Brisbane Heat in clash at The Gabba on Thursday night
- Matthew Wade caught in a two-man effort by Matt Renshaw and Tom Banton
- Renshaw caught the ball inside the boundary but threw it up in the air
- He then tapped it back inside the boundary to Banton who calmly caught it
An incredible Big Bash catch has sparked calls for changes to the rules of cricket.
Matthew Wade was caught on the boundary in a two-man effort by Matt Renshaw and Tom Banton in a match between the Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat at The Gabba last night.
Renshaw caught the ball inside the boundary but, feeling his momentum taking him out of play, threw it up in the air.
Matthew Wade was caught on the boundary in a two-man effort by Matt Renshaw and Tom Banton in the Hobart Hurricanes v Brisbane Heat clash at The Gabba last night
Renshaw (left) caught the ball inside the boundary but, feeling his momentum taking him out of play, threw it up in the air
While the ball was outside the boundary but still in the air, he jumped up and tapped it back inside the field of play and into the hands of Banton.
The catch was legal because Renshaw first touched the ball inside the boundary and was not touching the ground when he tapped it from outside the field.
After Banton took the catch, Renshaw looked confused and later admitted he did not know the rule.
The on-field umpire told Wade the catch was legal and the Hurricanes batsman walked off.
Meanwhile, the decision was referred to the third umpire who initially ruled it not out before correcting the decision to out.
After the match, Wade said: ‘It’s a bit of a strange one, we play a lot of sports where you can’t come from outside the field of play and touch the ball again’.
‘But I’ve got no grudges… nobody’s talked about it until this point so it hasn’t been much of an issue.
‘Maybe players could expose it a little, but you’d have to do a hell of a job to do it.’
Renshaw said he did not know the rule and that is parry back to Banton was accidental.
‘Apparently you can just keep hitting the ball up as long as you’re in the air,’ he said.
‘So maybe we’ll keep practising that.’
This is the moment Renshaw catches the ball before throwing it up in the air and crossing the boundary
The Lord’s committee, which sets the rules, tweeted: ‘Amazing catch today in the @BBL !Under Law 19.5, the catch is deemed lawful.
‘The key moment is when he first touches the ball, which is inside the boundary. He’s airborne for his second contact.’
The catch divided fans on social media with many saying the rule should be changed to stop fielders leaving the field of play.