In a peculiar incident during an ACT Premier Cricket 3rd Grade match between Ginninderra Cricket Club and West District Cricket Club in Australia, a batter was declared not out despite his middle stump being knocked back. The rare occurrence took place when Ginninderra's Matthew Bosustow faced a delivery from Western Districts' bowler Andy Reynolds.
The delivery crashed into the middle stump, sending it backward, and triggering celebrations from the bowling side who assumed they had secured the wicket. However, the jubilation was short-lived as it became apparent that the bails had not dislodged; they delicately perched on the leg and off stumps, which remained upright.
The unexpected turn of events left spectators and players in disbelief, with Bosustow initially walking off the field, accepting his dismissal. The incident gained widespread attention on social media, with reactions pouring in from cricket enthusiasts, including Indian cricket legends.
Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar often regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time took to social media X to share the image with the caption reading, "It must be pure luck that has ‘bailed’ the batter out of this," while Former batter Dinesh Karthik Dinesh Karthik humorously wrote, "When you get the premium subscription of cricket..."
Upon closer examination of cricket laws, it was revealed that a wicket is considered broken if either one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps or if one or more stumps are lifted from the ground, as per the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the governing body for the Laws of Cricket. However, Law 29.22 specifies that a bail being temporarily disturbed, regardless of the duration, does not count as its complete removal from the top of the stumps. In essence, the intact bails, despite the displaced middle stump, meant that Bosustow was rightfully deemed not out based on prevailing cricket regulations.
