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[The Dark Knight]

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[dedja]

About f…ing time …

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/mcc- ... al-1490045

MCC changes law to make boundary catches with 'bunny hops' illegal

The new law will be integrated into the playing conditions this month and into the MCC's Laws in October 2026

The spectacular boundary catches taken by Michael Neser and Tom Banton - with an assist from Matt Renshaw - in the Big Bash League (BBL) will not be legal under the updated law regarding boundary catches that is set to become operational later this month.

As per the updated law, which will be integrated into the ICC's playing conditions this month and then into the MCC's laws in October 2026, a fielder who is airborne can only touch the ball once beyond the boundary and will need to come back inside the field for the catch to be called fair. The "bunny hop" that Neser pulled off - palming the ball up as a second contact while airborne outside the boundary but also landing outside - will no longer be legal.

During BBL 2023, Neser, playing for Brisbane Heat, was chasing a lofted drive at wide long-off from Sydney Sixers' Jordan Silk. Neser caught the ball with both hands but his momentum took him over the rope. Neser, attuned to the Boundary Law, tossed the ball up initially while airborne, landed outside the boundary, jumped again, and palmed the ball back into the field with both feet in the air before hopping back into the playing field to finish the catch. Silk was ruled out, and he walked back shaking his head.

Neser said he was inspired by fellow Heat player Renshaw's effort to catch Hobart Hurricanes' Matthew Wade during BBL 2020 at the Gabba. Responding to a powerful lofted stroke from Wade, Renshaw ran to his left towards wide long-on and caught the ball a yard inside the boundary line. He then lost his balance and skipped over the rope but before that he lobbed that ball up. Realising the ball would land outside the boundary line, he skipped again to spike the ball back into play for Banton to complete the catch, while he himself landed outside the boundary line.

The fairness of both catches was debated widely and there were strong calls on both occasions to tweak the existing law, which was last updated in 2010. As per Law 19.5.2, the fielder's last contact with the ground before they first touch the ball must be within the boundary (this part of the law will remain in the new iteration). As things currently stand, the fielder cannot touch the ball and the ground outside the boundary at the same time. If the fielder meets those criteria and completes the catch, the catch is legal.

Earlier this year, however, the ICC cricket committee asked the MCC, the custodians of the laws, to review the law in question and the two bodies have worked together on the new version. An MCC note, which was sent to member boards by the ICC, said that while the existing rule had "led to some spectacular" fielding, it had also created room for "some unusual-looking catches that, to the majority of the cricketing public, feel unfair".

Describing the Neser catch, the MCC said, the Heat fielder "bunny hopped" before completing the catch "inside" the boundary. While it fulfilled the law, the note said it "felt like the fielder had - quite literally - gone too far".

While there have been suggestions, including from players such as Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, to dial back to the law to what it was before 2010, the MCC said doing that was "probably too draconian". Before 2010, if a fielder stepped outside the boundary after their first contact with the ball, they needed to have touched the ground inside the boundary again before making any subsequent contact. According to the MCC, that would "rule out some spectacular fielding that feels like it is now fully part of the game. Examples include catches from Harleen Deol (vs England in 2021) and Alex Hales (in BBL 2020), where the fielders don't reground themselves inside the boundary before taking the catch, but land inside the boundary to complete it."

By way of a "solution", the MCC has said that if a fielder goes outside the boundary and jumps up to make a subsequent contact with the ball, they must land within the field of play; otherwise a boundary will be scored. "Multiple touches" outside the boundary will no longer be allowed, as was the case when Neser caught Silk, the MCC note said.

"MCC has devised a new wording where the 'bunny hop' wholly beyond the boundary is removed, but these catches where the fielder pushes the ball up from inside the boundary, steps outside and then dives back in to catch the ball, are permitted.

"Our solution has been to limit any fielder who has gone outside the boundary to touching the ball while airborne only once, and then, having done so, to be wholly grounded within the boundary for the rest of the duration of that delivery."

The same would apply in the case of relay catches. The fielder who has touched the ball outside the boundary would need to jump back inside the field, even if the catch is completed by a team-mate. "Even if the ball is parried - to another fielder or inside the field of play - if the fielder lands outside the boundary, or subsequently steps outside, then a boundary will be scored. For clarity, that means the fielder gets one chance, and one chance only, to touch the ball having jumped from outside the boundary. After that point, the boundary becomes a hard line - and any time they touch the ground in that delivery, whatever else happens, they must be inside."

While the ICC playing conditions will be updated as early as the new WTC cycle, which starts with Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh on June 17 in Galle, the law itself will take effect from October 2026, when the next round of changes will come into play.

Law changes

19.5.2 A fielder who is not in contact with the ground is considered to be grounded beyond the boundary if, prior to their first contact with the ball, their final contact with the ground was not entirely within the boundary. This applies to any fielder who makes contact with the ball after it has been delivered by the bowler, whether or not the ball has previously been touched by another fielder.

19.5.2.1 If a fielder's first contact with the ball does not contravene 19.5.2, that fielder may then jump from outside the boundary in order to make contact with the ball whilst airborne. After making contact with the ball once airborne, all subsequent contact with the ground by that fielder, until the ball becomes dead, must be within the field of play. Any subsequent contact with the ground outside the boundary by that fielder during that delivery, whether or not in contact with the ball, will result in a boundary being scored.

19.5.2.2 If the ball is returned to the field of play, whether to another fielder or onto the ground, by a fielder who has jumped from outside the boundary, that fielder must land, and remain, within the boundary until the ball becomes dead. Otherwise, a boundary shall be scored.

[locky801]

The road at Galle continues

Sril Lanka Vs Bangladesh

Bangladesh 495 were 4/458
Rahim 163
Shanto 148
Das 90
no one else over 29

Sri Lanka currently 2/204
Nissanka 118*
Chandimal 54

[locky801]

1st test between England & India starts from 7.30 tonight, long night ahead

[locky801]

Sri Lanka at lunch on day 4

6/465 trail by 30

Nissanka 187
Mendis 83*
Chandimal 54

[The Dark Knight]

1st test between England & India starts from 7.30 tonight, long night ahead

Looking forward to it! Huge series.
Stokes wins the toss and England will bowl first.

[Brodlach]

Watching the game and I cannot support either team, really want a draw


#carntheumpires

[dedja]

Nice review

[The Dark Knight]

Watching the game and I cannot support either team, really want a draw [emoji38]


#carntheumpires

It's a hard one to choose haha, I've been contemplating it and I'm going for India because I hate the Bazball smugness. I'm hoping Bumrah will run through England like he did to the Aussies.

[The Dark Knight]

Jaiswal and Rahul going well and Stokes is moving well while bowling.

[Armchair expert]

Couple of quick wickets for England just before the lunch.

[locky801]

Great day 1, India holding sway

3/359 at stumps

Gill 127* (love watching this guy bat, all class)
Jaiswal 101
Pant 65*

Strange decision by Stokes to bowl first IMO

[The Dark Knight]

Great day 1, India holding sway

3/359 at stumps

Gill 127* (love watching this guy bat, all class)
Jaiswal 101
Pant 65*

Strange decision by Stokes to bowl first IMO

Good toss to lose.

Stats from day one-
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/indi ... -3-1491083
359 for 3- India's total at Headingley is their highest on the opening day of a Test in England. Their previous highest was 338 for 7 at Edgbaston in 2022.

India's 359 is also the highest opening-day total for a visiting team in England since South Africa made 362 for 4 at The Oval in 2003.

5- Indians with a century on captaincy debut in men's Tests, including Shubman Gill. His unbeaten 127 at Headingley is the third-highest score for India on captaincy debut, behind Vijay Hazare's 164* against England in 1951 and Virat Kohli's 141 against Australia in 2014.

3- Test hundreds for Yashasvi Jaiswal away from home - 171 in Roseau in 2023, 161 in Perth in 2024 and 101 in Leeds. All three tons came in his first Test in these countries. No other player has hundreds in their maiden Tests in the West Indies, Australia and England.

[DoublebluTiger]

Great day 1, India holding sway

3/359 at stumps

Gill 127* (love watching this guy bat, all class)
Jaiswal 101
Pant 65*

Strange decision by Stokes to bowl first IMO

Pretty cowardly to then put up their bowling coach Tim Southee as the guy to be interviewed at the end of the day's play. Only been in the job 5 minutes and yet he's got to answer the questions and convince the public of why they chose to bowl. The test still may go their way but it's not an overly brave look in my book.

[northerner]

Watching the game and I cannot support either team, really want a draw [emoji38]


#carntheumpires

It's a hard one to choose haha, I've been contemplating it and I'm going for India because I hate the Bazball smugness. I'm hoping Bumrah will run through England like he did to the Aussies.

Interesting. I had no problem choosing my horse. With Kohli retired, I think this might just about be my favourite ever Indian line up.
Big fan of Pant Jadeja and Bumrah, and love watching Gill and Jaiswal.

[locky801]

England must be crying their eyes out after day 1, pissing down with rain in Leeds

[The Dark Knight]

England must be crying their eyes out after day 1, pissing down with rain in Leeds

Where did you see that Lock? After reading your post I searched the weather in Leeds today and there's no rain forecast in the morning there? (It's forecast in the afternoon) Guess we'll see soon.

[locky801]

England must be crying their eyes out after day 1, pissing down with rain in Leeds

Where did you see that Lock? After reading your post I searched the weather in Leeds today and there's no rain forecast in the morning there? (It's forecast in the afternoon) Guess we'll see soon.

Fox cricket post on Facebook showed the covers out and saying it was raining, then again it was on Facebook

[The Dark Knight]

England must be crying their eyes out after day 1, pissing down with rain in Leeds

Where did you see that Lock? After reading your post I searched the weather in Leeds today and there's no rain forecast in the morning there? (It's forecast in the afternoon) Guess we'll see soon.

Fox cricket post on Facebook showed the covers out and saying it was raining, then again it was on Facebook

It's definitely not raining there at the moment lol.

[dedja]

Social media wrong? When does that ever happen?