David Bedingham’s decision to challenge a short ball and crush it through cover during a recent county match has divided opinion amongst cricket commentators. Bedingham clattered two boundaries and squeaked his wicket into lunch. One particular instance in which the ball was used has drawn significant concern. Co-commentators Ian Smith and Stuart Broad seemed to suggest Bedingham was not innocent of ball tampering after all. They argued that his conduct could have led to a termination for obfuscation of play area.
In cricket, the 2017 regulation amendment which rescinded ‘Handled the ball’ as an official way of being out further complicates things. According to Law 37.3.1, a striker may be called out for obstruction as well. This is only true if they deliberately leave themselves open to discovery. Bedingham might be one of the few to which this law applies. He quickly snatched the ball out of play and tossed it onto the pitch before Alex Carey—having swept in from behind the stumps to try and take the catch—could collect it cleanly.
The whole episode is reminiscent of a recent Carey/Jonny Bairstow stumping controversy during the 2023 Ashes series. This confrontation resulted in three Marylebone Cricket Club members being banned and even prompted remarks from then-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. In the aftermath of that aberration, Australian players—Usman Khawaja included—quite rightly marched up to umpire Richard Illingworth and asked what on earth was going on. Illingworth waved the ball dead as soon as Bedingham caught it. This strategic move inserted yet another layer of complexity into the ongoing national discourse.
No wonder Stuart Broad was so outraged at Carey’s mentality coming into that moment.
“I wonder if Alex Carey just said ‘I’m not getting involved’” – Stuart Broad
Matthew Hayden provided further context by stating that when the ball remains still after being edged, it is considered dead.
“That moment there it’s actually dead, when it remains still” – Matthew Hayden
Bedingham’s short conversation with Carey after the play did nothing to address the uproar from fans and analysts alike. While cricket lovers worldwide parse out the lessons from this incident, the questions about sportsmanship and the reading of cricket laws remain.
