After being put in to bat at the Docklands Stadium, Brisbane Heat openers Nathan McSweeney and Jack Wood made a sedate start – scoring 31-0 off the first four overs. They upped the ante soon after, and No.3 Matt Renshaw kept the tempo going after McSweeney's dimissal in the eighth over.

With the score at 103-1 after 11 overs, Renegades skipper Will Sutherland came on for his second spell, but was taken apart by Renshaw, who hit three sixes in a row – over midwicket, square leg and covers.

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Suspension No. 1: Will Sutherland

After the third six, Sutherland was summoned by the umpire, who was motioning to the area just in front of the stumps at the bowler's end – the protected area of the wicket where players are not allowed to run. Sutherland was then taken out of the attack, and Josh Brown completed the over.

Suspension No. 2: Fergus O'Neill

But just four overs later, the same situation unfolded, this time with bowler Fergus O'Neill – prompting Sutherland to cover his face with his hands in disbelief. He was also heard on the stump mic saying, "It's a T20 game!" to the umpire, perhaps suggesting that there should not have been any sanctions for (accidentally) running on the protected area, as there are in first-class cricket.

What do the Laws say about the situation?

The protected area is defined by clause 41.11 of the BBL's 2024/25 Playing Conditions as "that area of the pitch contained within
a rectangle bounded at each end by imaginary lines parallel to the popping creases and 5 ft/1.52 m in front of each, and on the sides by imaginary lines, one each side of the imaginary line joining the centres of the two middle stumps, each parallel to it and 1 ft/30.48 cm from it."

Sutherland's supposed objection of this being a T20 game would not have held any weight. According to clause 41.13.1 of the playing conditions, "It is unfair for a bowler to enter the protected area in his follow-through without reasonable cause, whether or not the ball is delivered."

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Any violation of this leads to a warning – the first two times. As per clause 41.13.4.1, the umpire shall "direct the captain of the fielding side to suspend the bowler immediately from bowling. If applicable, the over shall be completed by another bowler, who shall neither have bowled any part of the previous over, nor be allowed to bowl any part of the next over."

It must be assumed, then, that both bowlers were taken out of the attack for running on the protected area for a third time, although it is not clear at which points the first two warnings were given. When Sutherland was taken out of the attack, Mark Howard on television commentary did mention that he had been warned once in the first over of the innings.

The Heat went on to post 196-4, and at the time of writing, the Renegades were 129-4 in 11.4 overs.

Image credit: X/@BBL

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