Cricket is a sport where the number of events occurring in a match are a result of every activity that takes place each time the bowler releases the ball till the manner in which the batter faces the incoming delivery. The ball is in play from the moment the bowler releases it till the event on the delivery ends. This event can be a dot ball, a dismissal, or run scoring. The ball becomes dead when the said event ends.
Any hindrance in play by the batter that disrupts the event of that delivery results in the batter being dismissed for obstructing the field. The Marylebone Cricket Club’s Law 37.1 of the Laws of Cricket states that obstructing in field is due to word or action of the batter. Law 37.4 states that a batter can also be declared obstructing the field if they return a ball in play to the fielder without their consent. This can be done by the batter with or without the use of the bat.
The 2018 U-19 World Cup saw a South African batter defend a ball that was rolling towards the stumps. Though the ball slowed down, the batter stopped it with the bat, took the ball, and returned it to the keeper. When the fielding side appealed, the on-field umpires declared the batter out for obstructing the field. The batter could have avoided this dismissal if they would have taken the consent of the wicket keeper before returning the ball. This mode of dismissal is now categorized as ‘handling the ball‘, suggesting that the batter cannot unfairly break the play of an active ball.
