• Controversial run-out ‘properly officiated’

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    The MCC has called for batters to remain in their crease “until they have seen the ball leave the bowler’s hand”.

    As the custodian of cricket laws, the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) released a statement after Deepti Sharma’s dismissal of Charlie Dean during the women’s ODI between England and India on Saturday.

    Sharma ran out non-striker Dean, who was well out of her ground, giving India a 16-run victory at Lord’s.

    Earlier this year, the MCC amended the game’s laws to move being run out at the non-striker’s end from being deemed “unfair play” to “run-out”.

    That change is only due to come into effect from 1 October but “was done to clarify this matter and to place an onus on batters to ensure that they do not leave the crease at the non-striker’s end, prior to a bowler releasing the ball”.

    The statement added: “The law is clear, as it needs to be for all umpires to be able to easily interpret throughout all levels of the game and at all moments in the game.

    “Cricket is a broad church and the spirit by which it is played is no different.  As custodians of the Spirit of Cricket, MCC appreciates its application is interpreted differently across the globe.

    “Respectful debate is healthy and should continue, as where one person sees the bowler as breaching the Spirit in such examples, another will point at the non-striker gaining an unfair advantage by leaving their ground early.

    “MCC’s message to non-strikers continues to be to remain in their ground until they have seen the ball leave the bowler’s hand. Then dismissals, such as the one seen yesterday, cannot happen.

    “Whilst [Saturday] was indeed an unusual end to an exciting match, it was properly officiated and should not be considered as anything more.”

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    Simon Borchardt