While Ian Bell was fortunate to escape with his wicket intact after the bizarre sequence of events during the second Test against India at Trent Bridge, many other batsmen haven’t proved quite so lucky. Here’s a look at five unfortunate batters who lost their wicket by unconventional means.
1. Graham Gooch – Handled Ball
England v Australia, Old Trafford, 1993
Only seven batsmen in Test history have been dismissed for handling the ball, and the Gooch incident is probably the best known. After nearly chopping on, Gooch, on 133, turned to see the ball bounce up and head for his stumps. In an instinctive response he slapped it away and as Merv Hughes and his Aussie mates appealed, Dickie Bird had no choice but to send the England captain on his way. More recently, Michael Vaughan was given out for the same offence in Bangalore in 2001, foolishly using his hand rather than his foot or bat to stop the ball rolling onto his stumps.
2. Grant Elliott – Run Out
England v New Zealand, The Oval, 2008
An example of the Spirit of the Game being called into question. Elliott was called through for a run in the closing stages of an evenly poised ODI when he was inadvertently shoulder charged by Ryan Sidebottom. As Elliott lay helplessly on the ground, Ian Bell threw the ball to the bowler’s end and the bails where whipped off. England captain Paul Collingwood added to the controversy when he refused to withdraw the appeal, sending Elliott on his way. New Zealand gained some retribution by stealing a one-wicket victory off the final ball of the match, but Collingwood was taken to task by the English press and resigned the captaincy soon after.
3. Matt Prior – Stumped
Bangladesh v England, Chittagong, 2011
Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim comprehensively got the better of his opposite number Prior in this bizarre incident. After Prior had played and missed a delivery by Abdur Razzaq, the Bangladeshi gloveman promptly whipped off the bails and appealed for a stumping. The appeal would have proved unsuccessful but in a moment of madness, Prior left his crease and Rahim smartly pulled the stump out of the ground to complete, what this time, was a successful stumping.
4. Inzamam-ul-Haq – Obstructing The Field
Pakistan v India, Peshawar, 2006
In truth, Inzy could have his own DVD of bizarre dismissals – a particular favourite is his failure to defy gravity and hurdle the stumps against Monty Panesar – but his dismissal for obstructing the field against arch rivals Pakistan must rank as the weirdest of the lot. With Inzy out of his crease, Suresh Raina swooped, took aim and as the ball approached the stumps the Pakistan skipper played a textbook forward defensive to block the ball. Umpire Simon Taufel promptly sent him on his way for obstructing the field.
5. Muttiah Muralitharan – Run Out
New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Christchurch, 2006
In an incident similar to Ian Bell’s non-dismissal in Nottingham, Murali unwisely went down the wicket to congratulate Kumar Sangakkara on reaching his century after flicking the ball down to fine leg for a single, not realising that the ball wasn’t yet dead. The throw came in, Brendon McCullum removed the bails and Sangakkara’s big moment was irreparably soured. Unlike MS Dhoni, New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming saw no reason to withdraw the appeal and the hosts went on to claim a five-wicket win.
