Handled ball rules

By Russell Bennett
MERINDA Park middle-order batsman Andrew Martin had a day to forget on Saturday, but it’s one he’ll always remember.
The District player was dismissed for handling the ball against Catani in calamitous circumstances on the first day of their clash at Catani Recreation Reserve.
Merinda Park captain-coach Jamie Smith recalled the bizarre event.
“Andrew kept out a full-length ball but it came back and looked like it was going to hit the stumps,” he said. “I was the next batsman in so I saw the whole thing.
“He had a bit of a brain-fade, took his right hand off his bat and hit the ball away from the stumps.”
Catani did not appeal for Martin’s dismissal but the two field umpires came together pitch-side to talk it over. “They got David Williams, the opposition captain, over to discuss the situation with him,” Smith said. “They asked him if he wanted to continue an appeal and he said yes. When I walked on the ground he said sorry, but he had to give it out. That’s not fair on him though, to leave the decision in his hands.”
But Martin’s strange dismissal for just one run only steeled the resolve of his team mates, as Merinda Park went on to reach a whopping 388 with 108 from number 10 Adam Newstead, and 86 from number eight Uma Rattan.
Martin told the News: “Nine out of 10 cricketers wouldn’t know the (handled the ball) rule. I took my hand off the bat to protect the stumps and the ball hit my bicep. I thought from the elbow up was OK, and from the forearm down wasn’t.”