The MCC have issued a statement in response to the controversial Mitchell Starc ‘catch’ of Ben Duckett, explaining why the umpires were right in their decision to rule it ‘not out’.

The incident occurred late on day four of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, with Duckett attempting an uppercut and sending a chance to Starc at fine leg.

The left-arm quick initially caught the ball cleanly, but pressed the ball into the turf as he slid. There was significant debate over whether he was in complete control over the ball and his own movement before doing so, as well as what constituted being so.

A statement from the MCC, custodians of the Laws of Cricket, has served to clarify matters. “In relation to the below incident, Law 33.3 clearly states that a catch is only completed when the fielder has ‘complete control over the ball and his/her own movement,’” the organisation tweeted. “The ball cannot touch the ground before then. In this particular incident, Mitchell Starc was still sliding as the ball rubbed the ground, therefore he was not in control of his movement.”

You can bet on the 2023 Ashes with our Match Centre partners, bet365.