Chris Green sees bizarre dismissal fracas in Sheffield Shield having been given out twice only to be called back.
Given out twice, then reversed: Chris Green handed bizarre reprieve.
All-rounder Chris Green for New South Wales, was ruled out twice before being called back to the crease during a peculiar incident against Western Australia at the WACA.
Green was ruled out caught behind after he dodged a bouncer from Matthew Kelly in the 22nd over of NSW’s second innings. The ball then bounced through to Joel Curtis, the wicketkeeper. As umpire Gerard Abood raised the finger, Green, who had finished flat on his back in the crease, sat on the ground and started to protest.
Although there was no question that the ball had struck something, Green kept shaking his head as he stood up. Abood raised his finger once more while speaking with square-leg official Michael Graham-Smith. Green gestured to the umpires and began to leave.
Replays from the front and back were inconclusive at first, but a side-on view appeared to indicate that it had fallen off the helmet, even if the gloves were still in place. A fourth mid-on view seems to indicate that it was only a helmet.
Green was still on the pitch at this point, and Abood motioned for him to wait as he went up to Sam Whiteman, the captain of Western Australia. Then, Abood changed his mind, and Green returned to the crease. As is customary when a player gets hit on the helmet, he subsequently had a concussion test.
As a commentator for the game, former Australia and New South Wales opener Phil Jaques expressed surprise at the outcome.
“It looks like he’s got it right in the end, but it opens up a very big Pandora’s box,” Jaques said. “You can’t take a batter’s word for it because they’re never out, so it’s a very strange one.
“I’ve seen captains call back batters before when umpires have got it wrong, but I’ve never seen an umpire overturn [their decision] after giving it out. He’s overturned it [after giving it out] twice.”
Law 2.12 allows an umpire to “alter any decision provided that such alteration is made promptly and does not contradict clause 20.6 (Dead ball not to be revoked).”
Green scored eight more runs with just 11 balls remaining before toe-ending a draw to Cameron Bancroft at second slip.
Will Salzmann, who was at the non-striker’s end and was happy to let things play out, commended Western Australia for their acceptance of the situation.
“I didn’t have much idea because I guess I didn’t get a good look from our [the non-striker’s] end, couldn’t tell it was off his helmet, the sound wasn’t clean as you’d expect from metal,” he said. “Being my first game I sort of kept my mouth shut and let things play out in front of me.
“Think the right decision was made in the end. Western Australia should be given a lot of credit, it’s a good display of the spirit of the game. Credit to the officials and well played to Greeny for speaking up on something he didn’t believe in.”