Some uncanny dismissals in cricket

By A. C. De Silva

CRICKET: Cricket is a game of chance and at times some strange incidents make the game lively and also interesting to both players and spectators. If there is a greater humiliation than being so obviously dismissed that no-one even bothers to appeal, it is being out twice to the same ball. This happened to Gilbert Parkhouse in England's first innings vs New Zealand at Wellington on the 1950-51 tour.

Facing Tom Burt, he was given out lbw but as the ball then trickled onto the stumps and dislodged a bail the umpires instructed the scorers to record the dismissal as 'bowled'.

Andy Ducat was also doubly out in the Headingley Test of 1921 against Australia, his only Test appearance. A ball from fast bowler Ted McDonald broke his bat and a splinter fell on his wicket; at the same moment Jack Gregory took the catch at slip. The official verdict was 'caught Gregory bowled McDonald'.

Another batsman with little to complain about was H. Charlwood in a match for United South of England vs United North of England at the Oval in 1870. He played a ball into the air and set off for a run. The fielder dropped the chance so he turned for a second run. Reprieved, the fielder seized the ball, threw it and Charlwood was easily run out at the wicket-keeper's end. At the same time the other umpire was signalling one short. Charlwood had failed to make his ground at the other end.

Retired dead

Retired hurt is a frequent occurrence and of course as an uncompleted innings. This was some consolation to Danish all-rounder Erik Madsen during a Doerty Club match at Odense in 1976. The umpire, who also happened to be a doctor, had already given Madsen out caught behind when he noticed that the batsman was suffering from physical agony. Diagonising that his arm had been broken well above the glove, the umpire reversed his decision and Madsen retired hurt.

The decision to retire is usually a batsman's own, although the reasons are often bizzare. Scorebooks had recorded J. Williams of the Dorset Rangers as having 'retired hot' during a match at Carcavelos in Portugal in 1981, and J. Southerton of Surrey as 'retired thinking he was caught' in a match against M.C.C. and ground at the Oval in 1870. Southern had skied the ball and set off immediately for the pavilion, partly in disgust at his poor shot and partly because he thought he was certain to be caught; when the chance was missed, he refused to return - but in any case it is more than likely that he would have been run out.

Perhaps the most tragic retirement story, is of a batsman who faced a tearaway fast bowler on a fiery pitch. The ball flew off the shoulder of the bat, struck the batsman a fearfulcrack on the temple and was caught by the wicket-keeper. His appeal was upheld but the batsman lay dead in his crease.

After he had been carried off and the game abandoned, someone in the pavilion mentioned that the doctor had reported death as instantaneous. This sparked off an immediate cricketing debate. The batsman had obviously been dead before the catch was taken. Could he therefore be dismissed after his demise? The majority view was that the scorebook should be revised to 'retired dead'.

Out before facing

Sussex's H.J. Heygate had not exactly got into his stride before he was given out in a match between Somerset and Sussex in 1919. Sussex lost their 9th second innings wicket with the score level but Heygate, their No. 11, was sitting in the pavilion in his civvies. Crippled with lumbago he had earlier decided not to bat, but was sportingly invited by the Somerset to go in to try for the winning run. He was helped on with his pads and after taking off his waistcoat and watch chain, he proceeded slowly to the wicket by the time he arrived, well over two minutes had elapsed. A somerset fielder appealed and the umpire was forced to refuse Heygate his innings and sent him painfully back to the pavilion. The match was declared a "tie".

Out twice to same ball

If there is a greater humiliation than being so obviously dismissed that no-one even bothers to appeal, it is being out twice to the same ball. This happened to Gilbert Parkhouse in England's first innings versus New Zealand at Wellington on the 1950-51 tour. Facing Tom Burtt, he was given out lbw but as the ball then trickled onto the stumps and dislodged a bail the umpires instructed the scorers to record the dismissal as 'bowled'.

There was another instance of a batsman being out twice for the same ball. Andy Ducat was out twice in the Headingley Test of 1921 against Australia, his only Test appearance. A ball from fast bowler Ted McDonald broke his bat and a splinter fell on his wicket; at the same moment Jack Gregory took the catch at slip, the official verdict was 'caught Gregory bowled McDonald'.

Another batsman with little to complain about was H. Charlwood in a match for United South of England versus United North of England at the Oval in 1870. He played a ball into the air and set off for a run. Reprieved, the fielder seized the ball, threw it and Charlwood was easily run out at the wicket-keeper's end. At the same time the other umpire was signalling one short. Charlwood had failed to make his ground at either end.