Obstructing the Field in Cricket Explained
What 'obstructing the field' means as a dismissal in cricket, when it can be given, and the rare cases where it has occurred in international cricket.
What Is Obstructing the Field?
Obstructing the field (Law 37) is a method of dismissal in cricket where a batter is given out for wilfully obstructing a fielder who is attempting to field the ball or effect a run-out. It is one of the rarest dismissals in cricket — rarer even than handled the ball (now merged into obstructing the field) and timed out.
When Can It Be Given?
- A batter deliberately blocks or runs in the path of a fielder chasing the ball.
- A batter uses their body or equipment to prevent a fielder from throwing down the stumps.
- A batter deliberately deflects a throw with their bat or hand to prevent a run-out.
- Handled the ball — picking up the ball without the fielding side's consent — was a separate dismissal until Law changes merged it into obstructing the field in 2017.
Famous Cases
Michael Holding (West Indies) gave himself out obstructing the field in a 1978 Test — he stopped the ball with his hand to prevent it hitting his stumps. Ramnaresh Sarwan was dismissed obstructing the field in a 2008 ODI. In 2023, Afghanistan's Ikram Alikhil was dismissed obstructing the field in an ODI — one of very few examples in recent international cricket.
Difference from Running on the Pitch
Running on the pitch (running down the protected area of the pitch) is a Law 41 prohibited action but is not a method of dismissal — it leads to warnings and then no-ball/wide penalties. Obstructing the field is a deliberate act and results in the batter being dismissed.
Frequently asked questions
Does obstructing the field count as the batter's dismissal?
Yes — if a batter is given out obstructing the field, it counts as a dismissal in their batting record. It is recorded as 'Obstructed the field' in the scorecard.
Can a fielder obstruct a batter?
If a fielder deliberately obstructs a batter who is running between the wickets, the batting team receives five penalty runs under Law 41. This is rare but does occur in international cricket.
Is obstructing the field the same as handled the ball?
Since 2017, handled the ball is no longer a separate dismissal — it is subsumed under obstructing the field. Any deliberate use of a hand to stop the ball (other than the hand holding the bat) now falls under the obstructing dismissal.