The catch which caught widespread attention!

A T-20 match of Big Bash League in Brisbane has caught worldwide attention. Surprisingly, it is not because of the result of this match but because of a catch! 

This catch has divided people on whether the catch was legal or not. If yes, there have been calls to revoke the rule justifying it. Amidst all this, let us also look into the legal aspects behind this catch.

First, let's look at how the catch unfolded. 

The catch- boundary trouble? 

This catch was on a delivery of Ben Cutting to Mathew Wade. Wade hit the ball in Matt Renshaw's direction. Renshaw jumped and parried the ball into the air and fell backwards and stepped beyond the boundary. He once again jumped and slapped the air-borne ball towards his teammate Tom Banton who caught the ball. 

The on-field signal was out. The third umpire on broadcast said it was not out but before conveying it to the ground. After a delay, Wade was given out, who had already started walking out to the dug out. 

The rules

The laws of cricket are the governing rules. More specifically. Rule 19 deals with boundaries. 

Rule 19.4.2 and 19.5 in essence provides for the following:  

1) At any given time, the fielder's body must not be in contact with the ground beyond the boundary while he is holding the ball. -  Renshaw's body was not simultaneously in contact with the ground beyond the boundary and the ball. 

2) Before leaping to catch the ball for the first time, the leap must start from within the boundary. This rule is specifically for first contact.  Thus for a 2nd or 3rd contact, the fielder need not be within the boundary to leap to catch the ball! In our case, before the first contact, Renshaw was within the boundary. Once the first contact with the ball was made, it was fine for him to leap the second time from the ground beyond the boundary (as long as he was not simultaneously touching the ball).

3) Once catching the ball within the boundary, a fielder becomes grounded beyond the boundary only if while doing so he is still in contact with the ball. In our case again, Renshaw, while stepping outside the boundary, was not in contact with the ball. 

The ball in play cannot thus be regarded as being grounded beyond the boundary. So as per Rule 19.7.1, which deals with the boundary 6, as the ball was not grounded beyond the boundary, it would not be a 6. 

Thus it was a legal wicket. 

Need for change?

There have been multiple calls by multiple cricketing legends for a need to re-look at the current rule, which itself was amended only a few years ago. 

Some people have also compared it with a rule of basketball, where once you jump out of play, before touching the ball again, you need to come into play again. For us in this case, it would basically mean that the fielder should have come within the boundary again before catching the ball for the 2nd or nth time.

Do comment below on what you feel! For now, the rule says it's a wicket!