Handled the Ball and Obstructing the Field in Cricket: The Rarest Dismissals
Cricket has 10 modes of dismissal, and two of the rarest are Obstructing the Field (formerly including Handled the Ball, now merged under MCC Law revision in 2017). These dismissals occur when the batsman deliberately interferes with the fielding side's attempt to complete a dismissal. Michael Vaughan was dismissed Obstructing the Field in 2001; Len Hutton was dismissed Handled the Ball in 1951.
Cricket's 10 modes of dismissal: a batsman in cricket can be dismissed in 10 different ways: (1) Bowled; (2) Timed Out; (3) Caught; (4) Handled the Ball (now incorporated into Obstructing the Field); (5) Hit the Ball Twice; (6) Hit Wicket; (7) LBW; (8) Obstructing the Field; (9) Run Out; (10) Stumped. Of these, Bowled, Caught, LBW, Run Out, and Stumped account for approximately 98% of all international cricket dismissals. The rare dismissals — Handled the Ball, Hit the Ball Twice, Hit Wicket, Obstructing the Field, and Timed Out — are collectively extremely uncommon. The 2017 MCC revision: in 2017, the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodians of the Laws of Cricket) merged 'Handled the Ball' as a separate law into 'Obstructing the Field' (Law 37) — meaning that deliberately handling the ball is now a form of obstructing the field rather than a separate dismissal. The scorecard entry: a dismissal for Obstructing the Field or the former Handled the Ball is recorded as 'obstructed the field' or 'handled the ball' on the scorecard.
Handled the Ball History
Handled the Ball dismissals: throughout the entire history of cricket (150+ years of Test cricket), there have been only 7 cases of a batsman being dismissed 'Handled the Ball' in Test cricket. The law: a batsman who touches the ball with a hand that is not in contact with the bat, without the fielding side's consent, can be given out Handled the Ball. The law allows: (1) the batsman to use their hands to protect themselves from a ball that would hit their body (e.g., deflecting a ball away from their face — this is permitted); (2) the batsman to ask a fielder for permission to touch the ball (fielder consent = not out). Famous instances: (1) Len Hutton (England vs India, 1951): Hutton instinctively picked up the ball and handed it to a fielder — he was given out Handled the Ball, one of the most surprising dismissals in cricket history; (2) Graham Gooch (England vs Australia, 1993): Gooch used his hand to knock the ball away from his stumps after a delivery — given out Handled the Ball.
Hit the Ball Twice
Hit the Ball Twice (Law 34): a batsman can be dismissed 'Hit the Ball Twice' if they deliberately hit the ball twice — the first hit occurs (bat or body making contact with the ball), and the batsman then deliberately hits the ball a second time. Exception: the batsman is allowed to use the second contact to protect their wicket — if the ball is rolling toward the stumps and would dislodge the bails, the batsman may deliberately hit the ball a second time to prevent this, without being dismissed. The batsman is NOT allowed to deliberately hit the ball a second time to score runs or to prevent the fielding side from catching the ball on the second contact. Hit the Ball Twice has never been recorded in Test cricket as a dismissal — its existence is largely theoretical in the modern game, though batsmen occasionally accidentally make second contact with the ball and umpires must judge whether the second contact was deliberate.
Timed Out Dismissal
Timed Out (Law 40) — the dismissal for being late: Timed Out is given when an incoming batsman takes more than 3 minutes (in Test cricket) to arrive at the crease after the previous wicket falls. The 3-minute rule: from the moment the previous batsman's wicket falls, the incoming batsman has 3 minutes to be ready to face the next ball. If the new batsman is not ready within 3 minutes, the fielding side can appeal to the umpires and the batsman can be given out Timed Out. First Timed Out in international cricket: Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka) vs Bangladesh (ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Delhi, November 6, 2023) — Mathews arrived at the crease in time but his helmet strap broke as he prepared to face; Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh captain) appealed; umpires upheld the appeal. Mathews was given out Timed Out — the first Timed Out dismissal in the history of international cricket. The controversy: many cricket observers felt the dismissal was unsportsmanlike; the Sri Lankan team was furious; Mathews held up a placard at the crease protesting the decision. The ICC later confirmed the dismissal was within the laws.
Frequently asked questions
What are the ways to get out in cricket?
There are 10 modes of dismissal in cricket, though some are extremely rare in practice: (1) Bowled: the ball hits the stumps and dislodges the bails — the most straightforward dismissal; (2) Caught: the ball is caught by a fielder (including the wicketkeeper) before it touches the ground, having come off the bat or the batsman's glove; (3) LBW (Leg Before Wicket): the ball would have hit the stumps but was intercepted by the batsman's pad or body — Law 36 has 7 conditions; (4) Run Out: a batsman is outside their crease when the fielding side breaks the stumps with the ball; (5) Stumped: the wicketkeeper gathers the ball and breaks the stumps while the batsman is outside their crease playing the ball; (6) Hit Wicket: the batsman knocks the bails off their own stumps with bat or body during a delivery; (7) Obstructing the Field: the batsman deliberately prevents the fielding side from completing a dismissal; (8) Hit the Ball Twice: the batsman deliberately hits the ball a second time (not to protect the stumps); (9) Timed Out: the incoming batsman takes more than 3 minutes to be ready to face; (10) Handled the Ball: now incorporated into Obstructing the Field since the 2017 MCC Laws revision. Caught, LBW, Bowled, Run Out, and Stumped account for over 98% of all dismissals in cricket history.
What is obstructing the field in cricket?
Obstructing the Field is a cricket dismissal (Law 37) that occurs when the batsman deliberately uses any part of their person (body, bat, clothing) to prevent the fielding side from completing a dismissal or fielding the ball. The key word is 'deliberately' — accidental contact between a batsman and the ball (or an accidental collision with a fielder) is NOT Obstructing the Field. It must be a deliberate action by the batsman intended to hinder the fielding side. Common scenarios: a batsman who uses their body to block a throw aimed at the stumps (preventing a run-out) when they had a clear path to run without obstructing; a batsman who picks up the ball with their hand and moves it (to prevent a fielder catching it); a batsman who shouts or moves to distract a fielder about to catch the ball. The fielding side must appeal (as with all dismissals) and the on-field umpire must judge whether the obstruction was deliberate. Since the 2017 MCC Laws revision, the former dismissal of 'Handled the Ball' is now a specific sub-category of Obstructing the Field — a batsman who handles the ball without consent is now dismissed under Law 37 (Obstructing the Field) rather than the former Law 33 (Handled the Ball).
Has a batsman ever been timed out in cricket?
Yes — the first Timed Out dismissal in international cricket history occurred on November 6, 2023, at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup group stage match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka) came out to bat after a wicket fell, but as he prepared to face the first ball, his helmet strap broke. Mathews could not secure his helmet within the 3-minute allowed time for an incoming batsman to be ready. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed for Timed Out; the on-field umpires upheld the appeal; Mathews was dismissed Timed Out — the first such dismissal in all international cricket history (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is combined). The controversy: Mathews was visibly furious and stood at the crease holding up a placard that read 'Timed Out' in protest. Sri Lanka's captain appealed to the ICC, arguing the dismissal was unsportsmanlike. The ICC confirmed the dismissal was correct under the Laws. Cricket analysts debated whether Shakib's appeal was within the spirit of the game — the MCC later stated that while legal, the appeal went against 'the spirit of cricket.' Timed Out dismissals in domestic cricket (before 2023) are extremely rare but do exist in first-class records.