Mathews has achieved the rare distinction of being the first batsman to be dismissed due to a timed-out ruling in international cricket. This article explores previous instances of timed-out dismissals in first-class cricket and delves into the intriguing case of Sourav Ganguly, who narrowly avoided being timed out.
The law pertaining to timed out dismissals, as defined by MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club), states: Law 40.1.1 – After a wicket falls or a batter retires, the incoming batter must be prepared to receive the ball or the other batter to face the next ball within two minutes of the dismissal or retirement. Failure to comply with this requirement results in the incoming batter being declared out, timed out.
The timed out method of dismissal was introduced to the Laws of cricket in the 1980 code. In the 2000 code, it was revised to allow three minutes, but the playing conditions for this World Cup give the incoming batsman just two minutes. The first printed Laws of cricket in 1775 stipulated that umpires should grant “Two Minutes for each Man to come in when one is out.” Let’s explore some past episodes from first-class cricket:
- Water-Logged Roads: South Africa’s Andrew Jordan was retrospectively declared timed out nearly 15 years after the incident. In a 1987 domestic match, Jordan, representing Eastern Province, was unbeaten overnight against Transvaal in Port Elizabeth. However, he couldn’t reach the ground the next day in time due to waterlogged streets after heavy rainfall. His timed-out status was recognized retrospectively in the early 2000s when the match was acknowledged as a first-class game after the apartheid policy was abolished.
- Casual Conversation: Before Jordan’s inclusion, Tripura’s Hemulal Yadav was the first recorded batsman to be dismissed timed out in 1997. His reason for not coming in was uniquely Indian – he was engrossed in a chat just beyond the boundary when the ninth wicket fell.
- Extraordinary Circumstances: In 1919, Sussex found themselves one player short on the morning of the game. Harold Heygate, who had not played or batted in the match until then due to health issues caused by his time in the trenches during World War I, was coaxed into playing. When Sussex’s ninth wicket fell with scores level, Heygate, despite his physical condition, made a valiant effort to get to the field. However, time constraints led the umpire to rule him absent hurt rather than timed out, although it wasn’t recorded as such in Wisden’s scorecard.
- Flight Delay: The West Indian fast bowler Vasbert Drakes faced a peculiar timed-out dismissal in South African domestic cricket during the 2002-03 season. Playing for Border against Free State, Drakes was inadvertently late due to a flight delay. He hadn’t even arrived in South Africa at the time and was playing in the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka. Nonetheless, he picked up two wickets on the second day, even though he didn’t get to bat that day.
Additionally, the article examines the case of Sourav Ganguly, who was allowed to bat despite being six minutes late during India’s second innings in a Test match against South Africa in Cape Town in 2007. The openers fell early in the innings, and Sachin Tendulkar, the regular No.4, wasn’t permitted to bat due to the time he had spent off the field the previous evening. When Wasim Jaffer fell, the fourth umpire informed that Tendulkar couldn’t bat until a specific time.
These instances of timed-out dismissals highlight the unique scenarios in which this rare method of dismissal has occurred in cricket’s history.
