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Cricket PlayersWatch: Glenn Phillips produces Olympic race-style sprint at non-striker's end; Twitter says 'full marks for innovation'
Glenn Phillips demonstrated a unique way of leaving the crease at the non-striker's end during the T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips produced a stunning performance in the side's match against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Phillips smashed a brilliant century – the first of the Super 12 stage at the T20 World Cup – as the Kiwis reached a fighting score of 167/7 in 20 overs in Sydney. Phillips, who scored 104 off 64 deliveries, was largely the catalyst for New Zealand in the innings as the next-highest score was 22 by Daryl Mitchell.
Besides his brilliant knock, however, Phillips also demonstrated an unusual but effective way of leaving the crease at the non-striker's end without putting his wicket in danger. After Deepti Sharma reignited the controversy surrounding the dismissal – more informally known as the ‘Mankad’ – when she ran out England's Charlotte Dean at the non-striker's end in an ODI, many insisted that the batters should stay at the crease until the ball is released by the bowler.
During the final over of the New Zealand innings, Phillips, in a bid to retain the strike, bent towards the crease in a manner similar to athletes before a sprint, and the moment Lahiru Kumara released the delivery, he charged towards the striker's end. Phillips has been lauded for this unique way to dodge the run out-at-the-non-striker's-end dismissal.
Watch:
This is how Twitter reacted:
Earlier in the game, New Zealand had won the toss and opted to bat in Sydney; however, they endured a poor start with both of their openers – Finn Allen and Devon Conway departing on 1. Kane Williamson, too, could only score 8 before Daryl Mitchell stepped up for the side, scoring majority of the runs in an 81-run partnership for the fourth wicket alongside Mitchell.
New Zealand are currently at the top of the Group 1 table with three points in two matches; with a win, they will go clear of England, Ireland, and Australia, who also have three points after as many matches in the group.
