Bangladesh denied four leg-byes

Another thriller in New York

In a T20 World Cup Group D match, the much-discussed New York pitch lived up to its reputation yet again. Opting to bat, South Africa were quickly reduced to 23-4 by Tanzim Hasan Sakib (3-18) and Taskin Ahmed (2-19) before Heinrich Klaasen (46 in 44 balls) and David Miller (29 in 38) took them to 113-6.

Bangladesh fared little better in response against Anrich Nortje (2-17) and Kagiso Rabada (2-19), but Towhid Hridoy (37 in 34 balls) and Mahmudullah (20 in 27) brought them back into the game. With 27 to defend in 24 balls, Ottniel Baartman returned to bowl.

The leg bye loophole in play

Hridoy picked up a run off the first ball. Mahmudullah tried to flick the next ball and missed, and was given out leg-before after the ball rapped him on the pad. Mahmudullah reviewed, and the decision was overturned, for the ball would have missed the leg-stump.

The ball had meanwhile reached the boundary, but Bangladesh did not get any run under Clause 3.7.1 of the ICC Playing Conditions for the 2024 T20 World Cup: “If following a Player Review request, an original decision of Out is changed to Not out, then the ball is still deemed to have become dead when the original decision was made ... The batting side, while benefiting from the reversal of the dismissal, shall not benefit from any runs that may subsequently have accrued from the delivery had the on-field umpire originally made a Not out decision, other than any No ball penalty.”

Bangladesh lose by four runs

It turned out to be vital. Keshav Maharaj (3-27) needed to defend 11 in the last over. He dismissed Jaker Ali and Mahmudullah, and with six to score off the last ball, Taskin Ahmed managed only a single.

South Africa won by four runs – exactly the amount they had benefitted from because of the Playing Conditions – to qualify for the Super Eight.

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