Watch: Bizarre incident in BBL has everyone from players to umpires confused
There was quite a bizarre and one-of-a-kind incident that took place in the third match of the ongoing Big Bash League 2022-23 between the Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat at the Cazaly's Stadium, Cairns on Thursday, December 15.
With Renegades skipper Nic Maddinson going all guns blazing after his side was put in to bat, there appeared to be a blip on the second ball of the ninth over bowled by Mark Stekette, with the bails coming off while the batter was into his shot. Steketee pitched one short and angled it towards Maddinsonâs body, who mistimed the pull towards fine leg. The bails came off and the batter started to walk off, presuming he was out hit-wicket.
However, replays indicated that neither Maddinsonâs body nor bat made any contact with the bail, and that the object came off on its own. Maddinson was 43 off 23 at that point, and went on to make 87 off 49 including 10 fours and three sixers before being dismissed by left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann in the 18th over of the innings.
Andre Russell (35 off 28) was the other notable contributor as Renegades finished 166/7 in the allotted 20 overs.
Watch: Bizarre incident in BBL has everyone from players to umpires confused
What on earth???
â KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 15, 2022
Looks like the wind's knocked the bail off! Maddinson stays safe đ @KFCAustralia #BucketMoment #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/sboxGvIewA
âOh whatâs happened there? Whatâs it come off? The bails have just come off,â former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith told Fox Cricket. âAll I can think is when his back foot swivelled round and made contact with the ground, it shook the ground. Maybe it wasnât that stable, because it looked when he put that back foot down closest to the stumps, the bail fell off. Who knows? Spooky.â
âI donât think itâs come off anything. I think heâs OK,â former Australian all-rounder Brendon Julian told Fox Cricket. âIâve never seen that before, especially the timing of it when heâd just hit the ball. That is unbelievable. Iâve never seen that at all.
âItâs certainly a bit of an illusion. But itâs good news for the Renegades because Maddinson is still there.â
"Thankfully, common-sense prevailed. The right call was made," said Dale Steyn on air.