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County Championship 2022

Watch: Ball smashes off-stump in County Championship but bails somehow stay on

by Wisden Staff 3 minute read

Essex bowler Sam Cook couldn’t believe his luck in his side’s County Championship game against Yorkshire, as he comprehensively bowled Harry Duke only for the bails to remain in place.

With Yorkshire on 433-6 on the final day in reply to Essex’s 403 and the match heading towards a draw, you could have forgiven the Essex bowlers for hoping that some good fortune would be on their side.

However, when Sam Cook bowled to 20-year-old wicketkeeper Harry Duke, he got the ball to nip away from the right hander and beat his outside edge, with the ball then hitting off-stump before travelling to Adam Rossington behind the stumps.

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Cook celebrated, believing that he had got the young batter out caught behind, only for the umpire and Duke himself to gesture that the ball had in fact hit the stump on the way through to the wicket-keeper.

Fortunately for Essex, Duke, who was on four at the time, only went to score eight more runs and finish on 12 when he was dismissed by the spin of Simon Harmer.

Cook meanwhile was denied a 16th wicket of the season, although he is currently Essex’s top wicket-taker this year with 15 wickets at an average of 21.86 this year.

Watch the bizarre moment here

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