Obstructing the Field and Hit the Ball Twice in Cricket

Cricket has ten methods of dismissal. Two of the rarest — obstructing the field and hit the ball twice — have occurred less than 10 times combined in all Test cricket since 1877.

Obstructing the field

A batter is out obstructing the field if they willfully prevent the fielding side from making a dismissal by words or actions. The most common scenario: a batter uses their hand or bat to stop a ball from hitting the stumps, preventing a legitimate run-out. In 2023, South Africa's Obstructing the Field dismissal of a Pakistan batter in a World Cup qualifier became one of the few modern international instances.

Hit the ball twice

A batter is out hit the ball twice if they deliberately hit the ball a second time, except in self-defence (hitting a ball back toward the stumps to prevent it from deflecting onto the stumps). A batter CAN hit the ball a second time to prevent being run out — but only to guard their wicket, not to prevent a fielder taking a catch.

Handled the ball — now merged

Previously, a batter who deliberately touched the ball with their hand (other than the hand holding the bat) was out 'handled the ball.' This was merged into 'obstructing the field' in 2017 as MCC Law revision consolidated the two laws. Graham Gooch was the most famous 'handled the ball' dismissal in Test cricket (India, 1993).

Why they're so rare

Both dismissals require deliberate action by the batter. An accidental double-hit or incidental body contact is not out. The umpire's judgement is central — they must determine intent. At international level, batters are well-coached and the situations rarely arise. In lower-level cricket these dismissals are slightly less unusual.