Watch: Louis Kimber of Leicestershire was given out obstructing the field in a County Championship match against Gloucestershire.

The match was evenly poised at the County Ground in Bristol. Opting to bat, Gloucestershire rode on Oliver Price’s 85 and an 111-run ninth-wicket stand between Danny Lamb (70) and Ajeet Dale (52) to post 368 as Chris Wright claimed 3-40 and Josh Hull 3-109.

In response, Leicestershire opener Rishi Patel blazed away to a 70-ball 59, while captain Lewis Hill (109) batted for over five hours. Coming at 193-4, Louis Kimber helped Hill take the total to 258.

Then, in the 78th over, Oliver Price came to bowl his off-breaks. He tossed up the ball, and Kimber played a back-foot defensive shot. The ball bounced, and spun back – rather high – towards Kimber.

Had Kimber let the ball hit his body, it would probably have fallen harmlessly at his feet. He would also have survived, had he dead-batted it, for one can get out hit the ball twice if and only if the second hit is made with the intention of scoring runs.

Yet, for some reason, he decided to hold the ball with his hand, though the ball rolled off his glove. The umpires, Graham Lloyd and Paul Baldwin, ruled him out obstructing the field under Law 37.1.2: “The striker is out Obstructing the field if, except in the circumstances of 37.2, in the act of receiving a ball delivered by the bowler, he/she wilfully strikes the ball with a hand not holding the bat. This will apply whether it is the first strike or a second or subsequent strike.”

Kimber became the 35th overall, and the first since Mark Ramprakash in 2011 on English soil, to be given out obstructing the field in first-class cricket. Of the last five, three – Ryan Burl, Tom Blundell, and Shimron Hetmyer – are Test cricketers.

Such dismissals used to be ruled out handled the ball until 2017, when they were brought under the umbrella of obstructing the field. Until then, 64 batters were ruled out handled the ball.

Kimber made 34 as Zaman Akhter (4-33) and Price (3-40) secured an 18-run lead for Gloucestershire. They finished day three on 9-0, with a lead of 27.

Watch Louis Kimber get out obstructing the field:

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