Batsman gets seven runs off a single shot

Probably, for the first time in the history of the Ranji Trophy, a batsman was awarded seven runs off a single shot.

It happened in the quarter-final match between Baroda and Hyderabad, which the latter lost by an innings and 256 runs, in Baroda on Friday.

Umpire Sudhir Asnani awarded seven runs to Hyderabad tailender Narendra Pal Singh after Baroda captain Jacob Martin wilfully kicked the ball and sent it beyond the third man boundary.

Singh guided a delivery from spinner Ajit Bhoite to the third man region and took off for runs, but Martin deliberately kicked the ball outside the boundary line which Ansari took note of.

The umpire awarded seven runs, including three runs run by Singh, and ruled Martin's deliberate kicking as a boundary.

Martin had kicked the ball to keep Singh on strike, to face another delivery from Bhoite.

After the match, Asnani said the relevant clause, contained in the Laws of Cricket MCC 2000 Code, is very clear on the matter and thus he decided to implement it.

According to him, clause in 19.6 (3) reads that if the boundary results either from an overthrow or wilful act of a fielder, the runs scored shall be the runs completed by the batsman together with runs in progress, if they have crossed at the instance of the thrower's act.

Martin did not want Hyderabad captain V V S Laxman to face Bhoite as he was not giving any chance to the Baroda bowlers to get him out.

Mail Cricket Editor