- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Matthew Renshaw unwittingly exploited a bizarre catching law to help dismiss Matthew Wade but the Test batsman isn’t sure it will become a regular occurrence.
Knowing the rule is one thing, but exploiting it will be another according to Matthew Wade after his impromptu cricket theory lesson at the Gabba.
The returning Test batsman was doing his best to propel the Hobart Hurricanes to a defendable total against Brisbane on Thursday night when he found Matthew Renshaw on the mid-on boundary.
Renshaw caught the ball, stumbled backwards and lobbed it in the air as he fell over the boundary before jumping again and parrying the ball back to Tom Banton.
The catch was reviewed and after a lengthy delay Wade, who admitted he wasn’t sure of the rule, was sent on his way for 61.
Brisbane stuttered in their chase of 127 before Ben Cutting blasted an unbeaten 43 to get the hosts home with ten balls to spare.
Renshaw’s self-described “assist” was the talking point though, Wade admitting he was one of many on the field unaware that a 2013 rule change meant it was a fair catch.
That’s despite the likes of Sam Billings, Glenn Maxwell and Renshaw’s Heat teammate Josh Lalor all benefiting from that interpretation to claim catches in recent years.
“It’s a bit of a strange one, we play a lot of sports where you can’t come from outside the field of play and touch the ball again,” Wade said.
“But I’ve got no grudges… nobody’s talked about it until this point so it hasn’t been much of an issue, but will it be an issue (now that it’s happened again)?
“Maybe players could expose it a little, but you’d have to do a hell of a job to do it.”
Renshaw, who admitted he didn’t know the law and that the parry back to Banton was accidental, said the skill may find its way into fielding sessions.
“Apparently you can just keep hitting the ball up as long as you’re in the air,” he said.
“So maybe we’ll keep practising that.”
© AAP
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.