England’s faint hopes of victory shrunk further still after Jonny Bairstow was run out by Alex Carey after wandering aimlessly out of his crease after ducking underneath a Cam Green bouncer.

Bairstow comfortably ducked under the last delivery of Green’s over with the ball travelling safely through to Carey behind the stumps. Immediately after collecting the ball, Carey through the ball at the stumps. Bairstow, unaware of what was going on behind him, had strolled out of his crease, leaving the crease before the ball dislodged the bails.

The decision was checked upstairs by the TV umpire Marais Erasmus but replays confirmed that Bairstow was well out of his ground. While the Lord’s crowed voiced their displeasure at the dismissal, it is uncontroversial according to the game’s Laws.

Law 20 concerns when a ball becomes dead and states that a ball is dead when it is “finally settled”, which is “is a matter for the umpire alone to decide.” The standing umpire Ahsan Raza had not called over. On the Sky Sports Cricket commentary, Mike Atherton relayed a message from former award-winning umpire Simon Taufel who said that a ball is still live until “both sides disregard that the ball is in play.” As Carey threw the ball as soon as he collected the ball, it was clear that Australia regarded the ball in play.

Both Atherton and Andrew Strauss described Bairstow’s casual stroll out of his crease as “dozy”.

You can watch the moment Alex Carey runs out Jonny Bairstow below:

🤐🤐🤐#EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/dDGCnj4qNm

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 2, 2023

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