A grade cricket game in Australia has attracted attention after the winning side claimed two wickets – including the one to clinch the match – using the ‘Mankad’ mode of dismissal.

The second-grade game between Casey South Melbourne and Kingston Hawthorn ended as Kingston Hawthorn bowler Sen Sathyajith removed the bails of non-striker Sachin Halangode with the batter outside his crease. This was Sathyajith’s second such dismissal of the innings.

Hawthorn won the game by 13 runs with the two ‘Mankads’ both taking place late in the run chase – they were the eighth and tenth wickets to fall. The final wicket fell with Casey South Melbourne requiring 14 runs to win with one wicket and four overs in hand.

According to Law 41.16: “If the non-striker is out of his/her ground at any time from the moment the ball comes into play until the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the non-striker is liable to be Run out. In these circumstances, the non-striker will be out Run out if he/she is out of his/her ground when his/her wicket is put down by the bowler throwing the ball at the stumps or by the bowler’s hand holding the ball, whether or not the ball is subsequently delivered.”

In 2019, after Jos Buttler was dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin in similar fashion in an IPL game, the MCC released a statement reiterating the importance of the law. They said: “”Without the law, non-strikers could back up at liberty, several yards down the pitch,” the statement added.

“It has never been in the laws that a warning should be given to the non-striker. Nor is it against the spirit of cricket to run out a non-striker who is seeking to gain an advantage by leaving his/her ground early.”

A former Australian first-class cricketer Adam Crosthwaite was critical of the dismissal on Twitter. “This is horrible,” he tweeted. “Cannot believe the people in this post praising the bowler. Are you kidding?”

You can watch the final dismissal below (the score shown in the video is incorrect):

Oh boy. To win the game! (Ignore score strap down the bottom). Second Mankad for the innings. https://t.co/rAVduERK03

— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) February 19, 2022