Black Caps snare bizarre wicket in second test v South Africa

Tuesday, 13 February 2024

South Africa's David Bedingham was eventually given out but no one seemed sure, even the TV director who cut to an ad break.

“There's so many ways in cricket to ruin your day.”

That was the view of South African batter David Bedingham on one of the more bizarre dismissals you’ll ever see, and TVNZ viewers were lucky they actually did, after the Black Caps snared quite the weird wicket on the opening day of the second test in Hamilton on Tuesday.

Just as it looked like the Proteas were fighting their way out of trouble, with a 49-run sixth-wicket stand, Lady Luck decided to swoop in for the hosts on the last ball of the 62nd over, bowled by Rachin Ravindra.

Bedingham − South Africa’s first-test standout in their crushing 281-run loss in Mt Maunganui − was dismissed for 39 in the most unlikely fashion, so much so that the TV director cut to an ad break while the drama was unfolding at Seddon Park.

Playing a yorker-length delivery from Ravindra, the right-hander looked to flick leg-side, with the ball ending up in the hands of Will Young at short leg, who quickly flicked the ball in to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell for a possible runout.

There were just half-hearted appeals from Ravindra and Black Caps captain Tim Southee, and umpire Richard Illingworth didn’t look all that interested as he moved in from square-leg.

Rachin Ravindra celebrates the bizarre wicket of David Bedingham on day one of the second test at Seddon Park.

But all of a sudden, on return from ads, TV viewers were wondering what had hit them, as they were thrown into replays that TV umpire Richard Kettleborough was being instructed to look at.

Bedingham had got back into his crease and the runout wasn’t a possibility. But it soon became apparent he had in fact hit the ball into his front foot, with it then ricocheting up into the hands of Young under the helmet.

And Bedingham knew it. While everyone waited anxiously for the decision, he had already made his way to the boundary rope while all the replays were being shown.

“When they appealed, they were kind of taking it as a joke,” he said.

“They asked me what I thought and I thought I'm not exactly sure. It's a weird way to get out and a disappointing way to get out.”

Ravindra concurred.

“It was pretty unlucky for ‘Bedders’ - probably a once in a lifetime way to get out.”

The peculiar incident came on the back of a controversial one in Sunday night’s Australia v West Indies T20 in Adelaide, where the hosts were denied a runout because no player was deemed to have appealed.