Hypothetical Play - Is This Unsportsman like?

[gettingbetter]

I was just having a random thought. I play seniors which is just glorified backyard cricket and this week we are playing a team which has a former NSW u/17 wicketkeeper in it who would of made the team on batting alone.

In the odd chance of the other batsman skying the ball with an easu catch following, what would be your opinion if someone dropped that catch intentionally and ran out the better batsman?

Has this ever happened in international cricket?

 

[Fiery]

I was just having a random thought. I play seniors which is just glorified backyard cricket and this week we are playing a team which has a former NSW u/17 wicketkeeper in it who would of made the team on batting alone.

In the odd chance of the other batsman skying the ball with an easu catch following, what would be your opinion if someone dropped that catch intentionally and ran out the better batsman?

Has this ever happened in international cricket?

I doubt it. Odd question. The "better batsman" would be a fool to get himself in a position to be run out in the process of the catch being attempted and dropped tbh

 

[Top_Cat]

I don't think it's unsportsmanlike, just a low percentage move. If a catch is up, you take it even if this situation was a possibility. Why? By taking one wicket, you increase your chances of taking another anyway.

 

[honestbharani]

I don't think it's unsportsmanlike, just a low percentage move. If a catch is up, you take it even if this situation was a possibility. Why? By taking one wicket, you increase your chances of taking another anyway.

AWTA

 

[Top_Cat]

I think you AWTA tell me what AWTA stands for.

*groan*

Seriously, I have no clue. What is it?

 

[shortpitched713]

I don't think it's unsportsmanlike, just a low percentage move. If a catch is up, you take it even if this situation was a possibility. Why? By taking one wicket, you increase your chances of taking another anyway.

But if you take the more valuable wicket, you'll have an increased chance of picking up another as well.

In any case, its pretty much a moot point because in all my years of playing cricket I haven't seen anything near that sort of situation, and certainly not one in which theres a guaranteed run out after a dropped catch.

 

[cameeel]

I think you AWTA tell me what AWTA stands for.

*groan*

Seriously, I have no clue. What is it?

Agree With The Above

 

[pasag]

Would be an awesome move if it paid off but you'd look completley idiotic if you screwed it up. Not unsportsmanlike for me either.

 

[Richard]

Haha, nah, no way unsportsmanlike - just needlessly risky. Agree with Gelman (^^^^) and Corey.

Guess Corey needs to brush-up on his acronym-age.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I was just having a random thought. I play seniors which is just glorified backyard cricket and this week we are playing a team which has a former NSW u/17 wicketkeeper in it who would of made the team on batting alone.

In the odd chance of the other batsman skying the ball with an easu catch following, what would be your opinion if someone dropped that catch intentionally and ran out the better batsman?

Has this ever happened in international cricket?

That didn't even happen in the dramatisation of Bodyline in the mid 80's.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I saw a similar thing happen last year - though not deliberately.

I was playing in a team for Wellington (don't ask) against one from Queensland in Lower Hutt and our opener was cruising along on 58* with a new batsman (#4) at the bowler's end (0*). The guy on 58* skied a catch towards short mid-wicket. The bowler ran in to take an easy catch. The guy on 58* knew to take a single, having been at the crease for a while whilst the new batsman stood and watched. Anyway, both batsmen were at the same end as the catch was dropped. The bowler fumbled around on the ground for a while whilst our opener tried to return to his original end. He was run out by a yard or two.

Why the guy on 0* didn't sacrifice himself, I don't know. He managed 8 off 58 balls in a 50 over game.

We still won by... 4 runs...

>>>>>>>WHHOOOOOOSHHHHH>>>>>>>>

 

[Richard]

I saw a similar thing happen last year - though not deliberately.

I was playing in a team for Wellington (don't ask) against one from Queensland in Lower Hutt and our opener was cruising along on 58* with a new batsman (#4) at the bowler's end (0*). The guy on 58* skied a catch towards short mid-wicket. The bowler ran in to take an easy catch. The guy on 58* knew to take a single, having been at the crease for a while whilst the new batsman stood and watched. Anyway, both batsmen were at the same end as the catch was dropped. The bowler fumbled around on the ground for a while whilst our opener tried to return to his original end. He was run out by a yard or two.

Why the guy on 0* didn't sacrifice himself, I don't know. He managed 8 off 58 balls in a 50 over game.

We still won by... 4 runs...

>>>>>>>PPPPPPPHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW>>>>>>>>

Post corrected.

 

[Goughy]

Nothing wrong with it at all. Never seen it done on purpose but seen similar happen a few times by accident.

If a team thinks its best then there is no issue with this strategy, though as pointed out, its risky as giving up a guaranteed wicket for a chance of a different one is a gamble.

Ive also (as other probably have) seen teams intentionally drop a batsman in order to keep him in as he is scoring slowly and they dont want a new batsman in his place.

Some may class that as unsporting.

Ive also been fielding at 3rd man and had the next over. The best batsman has run the ball to third man off the final ball of the previous over to get a single and protect the number 11. I just stood there and let the ball go passed me for 4 to give me a crack at the tailender and not allow the strike to change.

Some may think that unsporting.

Personally, I think all 3 mentioned are ok.

 

[Richard]

Yeah, no team has a compulsion to field to the best of their ability. If they think dropping a catch or not allowing the strike to be turned over is best, it's more than within their rights to do so. Similarly, as Don Bradman once said "if they want me to go in and lose my wicket so they can win the game, I'll be quite happy to do so" (though that wouldn't ever happen in actuality).

If a batsman wants to be guranteed the strike, it's his responsibility to not hit the ball hard enough to get to the boundary, and if a batsman is holding back his team's prospects by scoring too slowly, that's that team's problem. If he actually wants to get out, he has many other ways to do so. And if his team want him out, his captain can send him a message telling him to retire.