An umpire oversight in a BBL 2021/22 game led to batter Laurie Evans keeping strike and not exchanging ends at the end of the over, and scoring 17 runs off the next one with fielding restrictions on.
The mistake was noticed by Twitter users and on 7 Cricket commentary, with it being pointed out that Evans kept strike after taking two runs at the end of the 10th over, during the Perth Scorchers-Melbourne Stars BBL game in Geelong. Batting first, Scorchers ended the 10th over at 79-1, with No.3 Evans taking two runs off the last ball.
Opener Nick Hobson expected to take strike in the next over. However, a drinks break followed, and the Scorchers, in the meantime, opted for a ‘Power Surge’: a two-over fielding period in which the batting team is allowed just two fielders outside the 30-yard circle. Once the break was over, Evans took strike again.
The error seemingly benefitted the Scorchers, with Evans hitting two sixes, including a monster hit off the first ball, and a four off in the 11th over from Haris Rauf with the fielding restrictions on. Evans, more experienced and arguably more aggressive – he strikes at 134.11 in T20s, compared to Hobson’s 120 – raced to 45 off 28 by the end of the 11th over.
Laurie Evans' monster six at the start of the 11th over shouldn't have happened! He finished the 10th over at the striker's end, and clearly the umpires/batsmen lost track after the drinks break #BBL11
— Ronny Lerner (@RonnyLerner) January 11, 2022
Oversight in the BBL. And these little things can have big impact. 9.6 Evans took two, so Hobson should've been on strike for 10.1.
But there was a drinks break, so umpires did not realise Evans taking strike in 10.1.
(1/2) #BBL pic.twitter.com/TPuOteZLvk
— Sreshth Shah (@sreshthx) January 11, 2022
While Hobson departed soon after, Evans continued his charge, ending with 69 off 46 in Scorchers’ total of 196-3. The Stars fell 47 runs short, and Evans was named Player of the Match.
It’s unclear if the umpires noticed the error at all, but even if they did, there wouldn’t have been a way to fix the mistake retrospectively.
