Umpire Question Time

HonalD

If a ball is bowled and the umpire signals a wide but the batsman then hits the ball and is caught, is he in or out?

Sorry, it's a chicken and an egg story.

TrueDub

Can't be a wide if the batsman hits it, so he's out. It's poor umpiring technique to call a wide before it's passed the batsman, but it does happen.

HonalD

I agree that the umpire was too early to call but once they had, is it a reversal signal and then the finger?

Also, if an umpire signals a wide (again incorrectly) but there is a nick and runs are scored. Do the runs over rule the wide call or is it a dead ball?

Thanks.

TrueDub

HonalD wrote: »

I agree that the umpire was too early to call but once they had, is it a reversal signal and then the finger?

Also, if an umpire signals a wide (again incorrectly) but there is a nick and runs are scored. Do the runs over rule the wide call or is it a dead ball?

Thanks.

The definition of a wide is that it's too far away to hit, so if he/she actually hits it, it's not a wide. In your first case, it's exactly as you say, crossed arms and then the out signal.

In the second case, it's runs - the wide never happened.

djimi

In the second situation if the umpire calls a wide and doesnt overrule it then it remains a wide, even if the batsman has hit the ball. The umpires signals are gospel; even if the scorer thinks that something different has happened they must score according to the umpires signals. The scorer can seek to clarify a situation during a break in play, but its unlikely that an umpire would overturn a wide afterwards.

TrueDub

djimi wrote: »

In the second situation if the umpire calls a wide and doesnt overrule it then it remains a wide, even if the batsman has hit the ball. The umpires signals are gospel; even if the scorer thinks that something different has happened they must score according to the umpires signals. The scorer can seek to clarify a situation during a break in play, but its unlikely that an umpire would overturn a wide afterwards.

You're right, I expressed myself badly, the ump would overturn the wide signal. However, a decent ump wouldn't call the wide in the first place until the ball had passed the batsman. Any ump who allowed a wide call to stand after the ball hits the bat isn't worthy of the name.

djimi

Thats true!

For Paws

Law 25 - Wide Ball

Law 25 (Wide ball)
1. Judging a Wide
(a) If the bowler bowls a ball, not being a No ball, the umpire shall adjudge it a Wide if, according to the definition in (b) below, in his opinion the ball passes wide of the striker where he is standing and would also have passed wide of him standing in a normal guard position.

(b) The ball will be considered as passing wide of the striker unless it is sufficiently within his reach for him to be able to hit it with his bat by means of a normal cricket stroke.

2. Delivery not a Wide
The umpire shall not adjudge a delivery as being a Wide
(a) if the striker, by moving,
either (i) causes the ball to pass wide of him, as defined in 1(b) above
or (ii) brings the ball sufficiently within his reach to be able to hit it with his bat by means of a normal cricket stroke.

(b) if the ball touches the striker's bat or person.

3. Call and signal of Wide ball
(a) If the umpire adjudges a delivery to be a Wide he shall call and signal Wide ball as soon as the ball passes the striker's wicket. It shall, however, be considered to have been a Wide from the instant of delivery, even though it cannot be called Wide until it passes the striker's wicket.

(b) The umpire shall revoke the call of Wide ball if there is then any contact between the ball and the striker's bat or person.

(c) The umpire shall revoke the call of Wide ball if a delivery is called a No ball. See Law 24.10 (No ball to over-ride Wide).

4. Ball not dead
The ball does not become dead on the call of Wide ball.

5. Penalty for a Wide
A penalty of one run shall be awarded instantly on the call of Wide ball. Unless the call is revoked (see 3 above), this penalty shall stand even if a batsman is dismissed, and shall be in addition to any other runs scored, any boundary allowance and any other penalties awarded.

6. Runs resulting from a Wide – how scored
All runs completed by the batsmen or a boundary allowance, together with the penalty for the Wide, shall be scored as Wide balls. Apart from any award of a 5 run penalty, all runs resulting from a Wide shall be debited against the bowler.

7. Wide not to count
A Wide shall not count as one of the over. See Law 22.4 (Balls not to count in the over).

8. Out from a Wide
When Wide ball has been called, neither batsman shall be out under any of the Laws except 33 (Handled the ball), 35 (Hit wicket), 37 (Obstructing the field), 38 (Run out) or 39 (Stumped).

HonalD

TrueDub wrote: »

Any ump who allowed a wide call to stand after the ball hits the bat isn't worthy of the name.

Is that not a bit harsh. They're only human.

djimi

It depends to what degree we are talking about. If a batsman wafts at a wide ball and the umpire misses the faintest of nicks then thats understandable/excusable (provided its not a recurring issue). If the batsman clearly hits the ball and it is still called a wide then that is very clearly not on. The most fundemental aspect of a wide is that the batsman did not hit the ball; anyone standing umpire (at any level) would be expected to know this.