Watch: Michael Bracewell was run out in comical fashion during the second Test of the two-match series, at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Following on 226 behind in the first innings, New Zealand were in a spot of bother at 297-5 in the second innings before Kane Williamson (132) and Tom Blundell (90) added 158.
Bracewell joined Blundell after Harry Brook claimed Williamson, and the pair pushed New Zealand’s lead to the 250-mark. Then Blundell hit Jack Leach past mid-wicket. As Ben Stokes gave the chase, the batters, having comfortably run two, turned for a third.
If Ben Foakes had anticipated the trajectory of Stokes’ throw, he made an excellent job of pretending not to have. It is not clear whether Foakes’ body language prompted Bracewell to run casually, but he did not exactly sprint back to his crease.
Foakes whipped the bails off and appealed. The television replays revealed that not only had Bracewell been slow between the wickets, but he had also not dragged his bat along the ground. He had grounded neither his boot nor his bat inside the crease when Foakes removed the bails.
The incident came not too long after Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s bat got stuck in the ground because she had attempted to drag it in, and Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy ran her out.
New Zealand collapsed subsequently, losing four wickets (including Bracewell’s) for five runs in 26 balls. Chasing 258, England were 15-0 at the time of writing.
Watch Michael Bracewell’s run out here:
This is why you run your bat in 😬
A wicket manufactured from out of nowhere! #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/i52FQVyw2H
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 27, 2023
