Tammy Beaumont was involved in a controversial moment during the second Women’s ODI between India and England on Saturday, July 19, at Lord’s.
In the fifth over of England’s run chase, Deepti Sharma bowled around the off stump, and Beaumont clipped the ball to mid-wicket, where Jemimah Rodrigues was stationed.
Jemimah reacted quickly, firing a sharp throw toward the striker’s end. As the ball deflected off Beaumont’s pad, she appeared to already be within her crease, moving her right leg forward. Though the throw didn’t hit the stumps, wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh appealed for an Obstructing the Field dismissal.
On-field umpires Rob White and Anna Harris conferred before referring the decision to the third umpire. After a close review, Jacqueline Williams ruled Beaumont not out, determining she was simply attempting to regain her ground.
At the time, Beaumont was on 25 off 17 balls. She went on to score 34 from 35 deliveries, hitting five fours, before falling to Sneh Rana. ,chasing down 115 in just 21 overs to level the three-match series 1-1.
But was Beaumont truly in the clear, or did she get a lucky break?
Here’s the MCC law on Obstructing the Field
37.1 Out Obstructing the field
37.1.1 Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, except in the circumstances of 37.2, and while the ball is in play, he/she wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action. See also Law 34 (Hit the ball twice).
37.1.2 The striker is out Obstructing the field if, except in the circumstances of 37.2, in the act of receiving a ball delivered by the bowler, he/she wilfully strikes the ball with a hand not holding the bat. This will apply whether it is the first strike or a second or subsequent strike. The act of receiving the ball shall extend both to playing at the ball and to striking the ball more than once in defence of his/her wicket.
37.1.3 This Law will apply whether or not No ball is called.
37.2 Not out Obstructing the field
A batter shall not be out Obstructing the field if the obstruction or distraction is accidental,
or the obstruction is in order to avoid injury,
or in the case of the striker, he/she makes a second or subsequent strike to guard his/her wicket lawfully as in Law 34.3 (Ball lawfully struck more than once).