Rare Dismissals in Cricket: Obstructing the Field and Timed Out
Cricket has several rarely used dismissal methods beyond the standard caught, bowled, LBW, and run out. This guide covers the most unusual dismissals — obstructing the field, timed out, handled the ball, and hit the ball twice — explaining what each means and when they have occurred in international cricket.
Cricket's Laws specify ten methods of dismissal — caught, bowled, LBW, run out, stumped, hit wicket, handled the ball, obstructing the field, hit the ball twice, and timed out. The last five are collectively 'rare dismissals' — they occur less than a handful of times per decade in international cricket. Understanding these rules reveals cricket's attempt to comprehensively address every possible circumstance in which a batsman should be considered out.
Obstructing the Field
Obstructing the field occurs when a batsman intentionally hinders a fielder attempting to field the ball or complete a dismissal. A famous modern example: Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka) became the first cricketer in international history to be given 'timed out' in a men's ODI in 2023 (Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, World Cup) — his helmet chin strap broke and he needed a replacement, causing him to take longer than the three-minute limit to be ready. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed; the on-field umpire upheld the dismissal.
Handled the Ball
'Handled the ball' (now merged into 'obstructing the field' in the 2017 Laws revision) occurs when a batsman touches the ball with their hand not holding the bat without the fielding side's permission. A batsman who accidentally stops a ball rolling onto their stumps with their gloved hand would be out under this rule. The most famous handled-the-ball dismissal: Graham Gooch (England, 1993) touched a ball with his gloved hand to prevent it hitting his stumps.
Hit the Ball Twice
Hit the ball twice is exactly what it sounds like — the batsman deliberately strikes the ball a second time (they're allowed to stop it landing on their stumps with a dead bat, but not to play it a second time for runs or advantage). This is almost never appealed in competitive cricket — the scenario is theoretically possible (a batsman hitting a ball that bounces back toward the stumps and hitting it again to prevent dismissal) but practically so rare that most cricketers have never seen it attempted.
Frequently asked questions
How many ways can a batsman be out in cricket?
There are ten methods of dismissal in cricket: bowled, caught, LBW, run out, stumped, hit wicket, obstructing the field (which now includes 'handled the ball'), hit the ball twice, and timed out. The most common are caught (50-60% of Test wickets), bowled, and LBW. Timed out, hit the ball twice, and obstructing the field together account for fewer than 0.01% of all dismissals.
What is 'timed out' in cricket?
Timed out is a dismissal where a new batsman fails to be ready to face a ball within 3 minutes of the previous wicket falling. It is the only dismissal that occurs before any ball is bowled to the incoming batsman. The first timed out in an international men's ODI occurred in 2023 (Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh in the World Cup).
Has obstructing the field ever happened in international cricket?
Yes — Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) was given out obstructing the field in a 2006 ODI against India after pushing away a fielder with his bat. Handled the ball occurred several times in international cricket, most famously when Graham Gooch (England) touched the ball in 1993. Both are extremely rare — most players complete entire careers without seeing either dismissal.