India Women registered a thrilling win over England Women in the second T20I played at the Hove’s County Ground on Sunday. But the match was marred with a controversial run-out which changed the course of the match.
It all happened in the 14th over of the second innings when Amy Jones struck the ball down the ground. Indian off-spinner Deepti Sharma went to her right to collect the ball but it got deflected off her right leg towards the stumps.
Non-striker Heather Knight turned around to return back to her crease, but Deepti unintentionally blocked the batter’s path while the ball went on to hit the stumps. As a result, the hosts lost their fourth wicket and collapsed from there to end eight runs short.
The on-field umpire straightaway went upstairs to check whether Knight had made it back to the crease, and if there was any kind of contact between Knight and Deepti.
Cricketer-turned-commentator Alexandra Hartley, on the Test Match Special radio coverage, opined it was an obstruction, but Mark Butcher had the opposite view.
Here’s the video:
That's OUT! pic.twitter.com/iZ1P0GIshy
— Kumar Sourav (@AdamDhoni1) July 12, 2021
According to law 41.5, concerning obstruction of batters, “it is unfair for any fielder wilfully to attempt, by word or action, to distract, deceive or obstruct either batsman after the striker has received the ball. It is for either one of the umpires to decide whether any distraction, deception or obstruction is wilful or not.”
Later, the spin duo of Deepti and Poonam Yadav scripted India’s comeback with tidy spells in the death overs, helping the visitors to level the series with an eight-run win.
