Batsmen are generally commended for the sportsmanship they exhibit when they walk after nicking one to the wicketkeeper, taking the decision out of the umpire’s hands.
Adam Gilchrist famously walked in a World Cup semi-final after umpire Rudi Koertzen failed to detect Gilchrist’s feint edge through to Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps and was widely praised for it. Even though it’s still more common to see batsmen stand their ground rather than walk, walkers are hardly an endangered species.
That said, it’s not every day that you see a batsman walk for an lbw. That’s exactly what Yorkshire’s Jordan Thompson did in their Bob Willis Trophy encounter against Durham. Thompson, batting at No. 8 in just his third first-class appearance, left a delivery from Ben Raine that jagged back into him off the pitch and struck him flush on the back pad. Thompson headed back towards the pavilion before the umpire even had the opportunity to give the 23-year-old out.
Yorkshire’s Jordan Thompson walking for an lbw before the umpire even raised his finger. Excellent.#BobWillisTrophypic.twitter.com/ESPoTVU25w
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 3, 2020
