Watch: An umpiring error during a BBL 2024 match in Brisbane led to Sam Billings facing a ball instead of Marnus Labuschagne.

Brisbane Heat ran into early trouble after Usman Khawaja won the toss at the Gabba and opted to bat as Jason Behrendorff of the Perth Scorchers took out Colin Munro and Khawaja inside the fourth over.

Matt Renshaw perished as well, and Brisbane were 84-3 in 9.5 overs when Hamish McKenzie bowled the last ball of his second over. Marnus Labuschagne flicked the ball to deep square leg, and the players broke for the mid-innings drinks break.

Lance Morris bowled the first over after the interval. In a bizarre lapse, Sam Billings was on strike, instead of Labuschagne. The umpires, David Taylor and Greg Davidson, did not notice. If anyone else did, it was not brought to their notice, and Billings pushed the next ball past extra cover for a run.

To complicate matters further, Morris had Labuschagne caught behind off the next ball. It can be argued that the umpiring lapse had resulted in the dismissal.

This was not the first time the umpires made a lapse after resumption of play in top-level cricket. There are two instances of the same bowler sending down consecutive overs (Warwick Armstrong in 1921, Alex Moir in 1950/51, both against England), Both men bowled the last overs before and the first overs after intervals.

At the time of writing, Brisbane were 141-5 after 17 overs with Billings (21) and Michael Neser (30) at the crease.

Watch umpiring error at BBL 2024 match leading to wrong batter on strike:

1️⃣ Last ball of the 10th over: Labuschagne takes a single…
2️⃣ First ball of the 11th over: Billings somehow on strike (?????), takes a single
3️⃣ Second ball of the 11th over: Labuschagne is dismissed#BBL13 pic.twitter.com/4iO7pnpz4w

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 10, 2024

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