Alex Carey’s standing position came under scrutiny for the ball where he caught Ben Duckett off Josh Hazlewood during the 2023 Ashes Test match at Lord’s.

Australia continued with their short-ball plan on day five as Ben Stokes and Ben Duckett marched on, taking the score to 177 after resuming the day on 114-4.

Then Josh Hazlewood bounced one, Duckett gloved the hook, and Alex Carey leapt up to take an excellent one-handed catch catch.

As some pointed out, Carey had been standing not in his conventional position of directly behind the stumps but towards the leg side, which made it easier for him to reach for the ball.

Law 27.3 (Position of wicket-keeper) states: “The wicket-keeper shall remain wholly behind the wicket at the striker’s end from the moment the ball comes into play until a ball delivered by the bowler touches the bat or person of the striker or passes the wicket at the striker’s end or the striker attempts a run.”

Carey did not violate Law 27.3 or 27.4.1, which would have barred him from moving “after the ball comes into play and before it reaches the striker”, for he stood where he did before the ball.

There was also Law 28.4 (Limitation of on side fielders) to worry about: “At the instant of the bowler’s delivery there shall not be more than two fielders, other than the wicket-keeper, behind the popping crease on the on side. A fielder will be considered to be behind the popping crease unless the whole of his/her person whether grounded or in the air is in front of this line. In the event of infringement of this Law by any fielder, the striker’s end umpire shall call and signal No ball.”

Carey was the third Australian on the leg side behind the popping crease, but being the wicketkeeper, he did not add to the count. It was a legal dismissal.

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