Brendan Taylor was declared out hit wicket after knocking his own stumps with his bat during an ODI against Bangladesh, but while the dismissal initially appeared to be a careless mistake on the batsman’s part, a closer look at the laws suggests that he was erroneously given out by the third umpire.

The dismissal occurred during the second ODI between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare. Taylor, batting on 46, tried to ramp seamer Shoriful Islam over the wicketkeeper’s head but didn’t appear to make any contact. As the ball whistled past him and reached the wicketkeeper, Taylor walked away from the stumps, but the Bangladesh fielders instantly spotted that one of the bails had been dislodged.

The on-field umpires Iknow Chabi and Marais Erasmus had a quick discussion between themselves before consulting TV umpire Langton Rusere for a review.

TV replays showed that Taylor, after having attempted the ramp, hopped to one side, even as the bowler and wicketkeeper made a faint appeal for caught-behind. He then repeated the shot he had attempted with his right hand, but while moving away from the stumps, the bat in his left hand swung towards the stumps and clipped one of the bails off.

“Oops, that’s gone,” said the on-air commentator, “he cannot believe his luck”, with Taylor trudging back to the pavilion after the third umpire adjudged him out. However, a closer look at the laws clearly suggests that he was actually unlucky to have been sent back.

According to Law 35.2 on Hit Wicket in the MCC rulebook, a batsman is not out hit wicket, if “it [the hit wicket] occurs after the striker has completed any action in receiving the delivery, other than in 35.1.1.2 [in setting off for the first run immediately after playing or playing at the ball]. 35.1.1.3 [if no attempt is made to play the ball, in setting off for the first run, providing that in the opinion of the umpire this is immediately after the striker has had the opportunity of playing the ball,], and 35.1.1.4 [in lawfully making a second or further stroke for the purpose of guarding his/her wicket within the provisions of Law 34.3 (Ball lawfully struck more than once)].”

Since Taylor had completed the action in “receiving the delivery”, and did not attempt a run thereafter, there was no basis in declaring him out. Taylor’s bat hit the stumps well after he had completed the shot, and the ball had settled into the wicketkeeper’s gloves, and subsequently, was out of play.

In fact, during the 2019 World Cup game between West Indies and Bangladesh, Oshane Thomas disturbed his stumps in his follow-through, almost in an identical fashion to Taylor. Umpires S Ravi and Rod Tucker consulted the TV umpire – Paul Wilson – who adjudged Thomas not out because “he’s already finished the shot before the bat hit the stumps”.

All in all, Taylor’s case was unlucky to have not received the same consideration as Thomas’. Both should have been not out, but only one of them received the green light from the third umpire.

Watch the Taylor dismissal here:

Brendan Taylor out with one of the most ridiculous wickets I've seen in a long time 😭 #ZIMvBAN pic.twitter.com/njQWXHbhTl

— Santokie (@Santokie89) July 18, 2021

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