'Same old Aussies, always cheating': Jonny Bairstow stumped in controversial manner

Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped when walking out of his crease on the fifth morning at Lord’s, leading to furious reactions from the Lord’s crowd.

Bairstow, who had made 10, ducked into a bouncer from Cameron Green in the 52^nd over of the game and then started walking down his crease, in the manner that players customarily do between balls. But, Alex Carey, Australia’s wicketkeeper, threw down the stumps as he saw Bairstow shape to leave his crease.

According to the Laws of the game, the ball was not dead when Bairstow started to walk out of his crease - meaning that he could be stumped. After Carey’s throw dislodged the bails, Australia appealed for a dismissal, which was given out by the third umpire Marais Erasmus after observing that Bairstow was clearly out of his crease.

England’s captain Ben Stokes spoke to the umpires after the dismissal, seemingly aggrieved at the dismissal. As the crowd waited for the decision at Lord’s, they booed loudly. The decision was greeted by cries of ‘Same old Aussies, always cheating,’ with some MCC members standing up to applaud Bairstow as he walked off, clearly unhappy to have been given out in this way.

Stuart Broad, who replaced Bairstow at the crease after his dismissal, appeared to tell Carey on the stump mic: “You’ll forever be remembered for that.”

Eoin Morgan, the former England ODI captain, said on Sky Sports” “Really smart work again by Alex Carey.” Mike Atherton, the former England Test captain, described it as “a dozy bit of cricket from Jonny Bairstow”.

“It all depends on when the umpire called ‘over’ then,” said Glenn McGrath on BBC Test Match Special. “Carey threw at the stumps even before Bairstow was walking.”

Under the Laws of the game, the ball is dead when both sides consider it to be so. While Bairstow clearly thought that the ball was dead - the dismissal came from the final ball of the over, the 52^nd of the innings - Australia did not consider it to be so.

Law 20.1.2 states that: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.” Under the third umpire’s interpretation of the Laws, Erasmus gave Bairstow out stumped.

The wicket off Bairstow was a crucial one in the game. It restricted England to 193-6 in pursuit of the target of 371 runs that they require to win the game and avoid going 2-0 down in the 2023 Ashes.

Verdict: Bairstow was dopey – the Austalians did the right thing

By Scyld Berry

The Match Officials got it absolutely right, as they did with the Mitchell Starc non-catch on Saturday evening. Jonny Bairstow was out, stumped.

The key point is that the ball is dead only when both sides consider it to be so.

Bairstow clearly thought the ball was dead after he had ducked Cameron Green’s bouncer then tapped his bat back in the crease. But that is only one half of the legal picture.

The Australians, or specifically Alex Carey, did not consider the ball to be dead and the over to be completed. Hence Carey had an underarm shy at the stumps and caught Bairstow wandering out of his ground.

Hundreds of wicketkeepers around the country this weekend will have tried exactly the same thing: to surprise a dopey batsman out of his ground.

And, what is more, it is a tactic which Bairstow himself has often tried when keeping wicket. He would have done exactly the same as Carey did, and will probably try it soon in future.

Caveat emptor! Or let the batsman beware. It is up to him to protect his wicket.

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