In the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, a surprising turn of events took place during Sri Lanka’s match against Pakistan on Thursday (October 3).

Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu had seemingly picked the wicket of Nilakshika Silva when the batter was trapped LBW in the 13th over. However, just as the Pakistan side began to celebrate, the ball was declared dead due to an unusual reason.

A missed opportunity: Wicket turned into a dead ball

The pivotal moment came in the 13th over when Sandhu bowled a full delivery that Silva tried to slog sweep, missing the ball entirely. The umpire initially adjudged her LBW, and it looked like Pakistan had struck a crucial blow. Nevertheless, moments later, the umpire reversed the decision, citing that Sandhu’s towel had fallen out during the delivery. This distraction for the batter was enough to invoke the rule and declare the ball dead. While the reprieve gave Sri Lanka brief hope, it didn’t change the outcome much. Despite Silva surviving that delivery, she couldn’t make a significant impact, and Sri Lanka eventually crumbled for just 85 runs, falling 31 runs short of Pakistan’s total.

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Explaining the rule behind change of decision

According to Clause 20.4.2.6 of the MCC laws, a ball is declared dead if the batter is distracted by any movement or noise, either while preparing to receive the delivery or while receiving it. In this case, the falling towel was deemed a distraction for Silva, prompting the umpire to overturn the initial decision. The law ensures that the batter gets a fair chance to face the delivery without any external distractions. This highlights how even seemingly minor occurrences like a dropped towel can have significant consequences under the rules of cricket.

“The striker is distracted by any noise or movement or in any other way while preparing to receive, or receiving a delivery. This shall apply whether the source of the distraction is within the match or outside it,” the law reads.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Result

Despite the dead-ball incident, Pakistan registered a comfortable victory over Sri Lanka by 31 runs in their opening game of the Women’s T20 World Cup. After winning the toss and opting to bat, Pakistan struggled at 84/8 but were lifted by a crucial lower-order knock from captain Fatima Sana, who scored 30 off 20 balls to help her team post 116 all out.

Sri Lanka’s chase never gained momentum as Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Sadia Iqbal (3 wickets) and supported by Sandhu, Omaima Sohail and Fatima, who claimed two wickets each, decimated their batting lineup. Even though Sri Lankan batters tried to show some fight with the bat, Pakistan’s total proved to be more than enough. With key dismissals like that of Chamari Athapaththu early in the innings and wickets falling regularly, Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 85, leaving Pakistan to celebrate a well-fought victory.

Also READ: Pakistan overcomes Sri Lanka with convincing win in Women’s T20 World Cup 2024

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.