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'Reminds me of school cricket': 'Baffling' BBL rule lambasted after umpire signals 6 to ball hitting stadium roof… twice
Twice during a BBL game was the ball skied straight up, which hit the stadium roof and landed within the 30-yard circle, but was signalled 6 runs by the umpire based on the updated laws of the league.
If you remember playing cricket back in school, within the confinements of a classroom, you surely would have remembered the rule of scoring runs when the ball was hit towards the ceiling. With little or no chances of running between the wickets, scoring was limited to fours and sixes by hitting towards the far end of the wall. However, a certain extra rule was also added wherein the batter would be handed one or a two by hitting the ceiling. But what if the rule was included in the real game as well wherein the shot would guarantee six runs? Well, the Big Bash League certainly includes that rule and two Melbourne Stars batters made the most of it to score two 6s.
In the match against Melbourne Renegades, opener Joe Clarke miscued the delivery which went straight up and hit the roof of the Etihad Stadium in the third over of their chase. The ball landed within the 30-yard circle, but was signalled 6 runs by the umpire. 12 overs later, Beau Webster, emulated the same, but in a rather lucky escape as he top-edged the ball. Melbourne Stars were once again handed 6 runs.
According to the new Laws of the league, section 19.7.1 of the “Stadium Roof” subsection, says: “If the ball having been struck by the bat hits any part of the stadium roof structure, retractable or fixed, a Boundary 6 will be scored.”
Here is how Twitter reacted...
In 2012, Aaron Finch was handed 6 runs for a similar shot, but it was aslo called a dead ball. Cricket Australia later changed the rule saying that of the ball hit the stadium roof then it would be deemed a dead ball. Later it was changed again to the present rule.
In the 2018/19 season, Ashton Turner had made the most of the rule by surviving after skying the ball high which ended up hitting the roof. However, he later slammed it saying “it was not fair” and called it "bad rule".
