|
Every cricket-lover recognizes the 'wide ball' law
as one that prevents the fielding side from
adopting negative tactics, especially in a limited-overs
match. This law is interpreted differently in
different forms of the game.
Umpires tend to be more lenient in the longer
version, opting to not declare a 'wide' unless the
ball is delivered well down the leg-side to beat
the batsman's attempt to score off it. Leg-spinners
like Shane Warne, when they bowl round the wicket
to a right-handed batsman, generally try to pitch
the ball in the footmarks left by the bowlers
operating from the opposite end, which are referred
to as the 'rough' in cricketing parlance. If the
umpire notices a googly that goes well past the
batsman down the leg-side, he will call it a
'wide'.
Australia were chasing a target of 177 in close to
even time on the last day of a Test at Leeds in
1953. They were coasting until Trevor Bailey was
introduced into the attack and asked to bowl round
the wicket to the right-handers. He started bowling
well on a leg-stump line, and the Aussies were made
to struggle. They could not keep up with the
scoring rate and fell short by 15 runs. England had
bowled negatively, but not many eyebrows were
raised. In those days, an unconventional stroke
like the reverse-sweep was an unknown commodity,
and the batsmen were reluctant to essay improvised
strokes like the 'inside-out' hit over extra-cover,
a shot played after moving away on the leg-side. As
cricket-lovers will recall, this particular shot
was patented by batsmen like Viv Richards and
Mohinder Amarnath. The draw enabled England to win
the Ashes after twenty years, courtesy a 1-0 lead
in the series.
The batting team gets awarded one run for every
wide by the bowling side. Any additional runs, if
taken, are also added to the score. A wide ball is
not counted, and the bowler has to re-deliver the
ball.
The umpire makes the 'wide' call after the ball
passes the stumps at the striker's end. A 'wide'
isn't called if the ball touches the striker's bat
or pad. The striker also cannot 'manufacture' a
wide by moving away from the ball, although such
attempts are made from time to time in ODIs!
It is generally observed in ODIs that the batsmen
are prone to leaving wide balls alone in the
initial stages of the innings. However, they let
themselves go in the slog overs, reaching out to
deliveries that they would have otherwise ignored.
They fail to resist the temptation of letting the
ball go and get an extra delivery to face as a
result.
An accepted feature of ODIs is an additional line
marked on either side of the stumps. This line is
parallel to the return creases on either side. It
is 17 inches/43.18 cms away from the return crease
on either side, and connects the bowling and
popping creases.
This line serves as a guide to the umpires, but
only as far as the off-side is concerned. Umpires
give bowlers more latitude, quite literally, on the
off-side. But they are very strict in their
interpretation of the 'wide-ball' law on the
leg-side. Even deliveries that miss the bat or the
batsman's body by a whisker aren't spared.
The 'no-ball' call takes precedence over the 'wide
ball' call. This implies that the batsman will be
declared out if he misses a 'wide' and gets stumped
or hit wicket, although one run will be added to
the team's score. But the batsman will be given
'not out' if the square-leg umpire calls 'no ball'
for any breach of that law.
Either batsman can be declared out for handling the
ball, obstructing the field or for running himself
or his partner out, off a 'wide', as the ball does
not become dead merely by being declared a 'wide'.
I would like to end this piece with a peculiar
instance. Imagine a situation wherein the scores
are tied, the last pair is in, and only ball is
left. The bowler delivers the cherry and the
batsman comes down the wicket to strike it. He
misses, and is stumped. But the umpire at the
bowler's end declares the ball a 'wide'. What will
be the result of the match?
Answer: The batting side will be declared the
winner, and the final dismissal will be ignored. |