Top-of-Division 2 Bexhill needed two runs to win off Aussie Kyle Bowes' final ball which closed the match.

No 11 bat, Richard Harrison, pushed the ball to mid-off and fielder Ollie Rogers' attempt to flick the ball onto the stumps at the bowlers end to run Harrion out missed the target. It then glanced off Harrison's pad, and away from three Worthing fielders backing up.

Harrison and non-striker Ian Ellis were able to complete a second run to win the game.

Afterwards, Worthing furiously claimed Bexhill had broken an unwritten cricket rule. Captain Dominic Clapp said: "To take that run in cricket is something you just don't do. Our players were incensed afterwards that they did not withdraw the run and accept a tied-scores draw."

But Behill skipper Jon Haffenden claimed he never realised that no law governed such a scenario. He said: "I was expecting the umpires to decide on it and they said they were happy.

"But it was an accident. The batsman, Richard, did nothing deliberate. The fielder could simply have kept the ball and walked up to the stumps to prevent a second run."


The debate was:
Were Bexhill guilty of sharp practice? Should they have insisted the scores stayed level?
Or did Worthing pay for not taking care of the ball?

Remembering, though, that Rogers was trying to prevent the scores drawing level by running out Harrison and winning the game for Worthing - who badly needed the victory. And the the pad deflection gave Bexhill an advantage. But was it an unfair advantage? Or a rub of the green?

So our vote had two answers and here are the results (28 votes cast):

The Bexhill captain should have cancelled the winning run and accepted a draw: 35% agreed

No, the Bexhill team should have taken their luck, and the win: 64%

Click here for our new cricket vote

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