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Post by Acumen on Jul 25, 2011 20:37:44 GMT
Last Saturday, I encountered a wicket-keeper who started by standing well back to a fast bowler and then running forward during the bowler's run up before crouching down in the usual way.
He must have started about 20 yards back and then took four or five paces most balls but sometimes only one or two. Clearly this was not hampering the batsmen, who were aware of this habit.
Tom Smith talks about a few steps being permitted unless it is significant movement. I felt five steps was too many but did allow three. How many would you allow?
Indeed is there any other wicket keeper with a similar habit?
What would you do about this - if anything?
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Post by tippexii on Jul 26, 2011 9:18:13 GMT
I would say that, as long as the keeper's not trying to sneak in to a position where he can take a quick stumping, there isn't a problem. I certainly wouldn't start getting into saying "3 steps but not 4", or "small steps not big ones", or anything similar. Especially as the batsmen aren't bothered, I wouldn't have thought it's anything the umpire has to worry about.
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Post by jaybee on Aug 10, 2011 14:06:03 GMT
I had an instance a few weeks ago. The keeper was a junior who insisted he was 'allowed' to advance. He started early in the bowler's run-up and I judged that - if he continued - he could have ended up not too far away from the striker so I called 'Dead Ball'. This happened a couple more times before he got the message.
While agreeing that there's no set number of steps, I differ from tippex when he says there's nothing the umpire has to worry about; it's not just a question of him being able to take a quick stumping. If the encroachment is possibly enough to distract the batsman or gain an unfair advantage for the fielding side the umpire ought to intervene.
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Post by Acumen on Jun 25, 2013 11:46:18 GMT
Jayesh has sent me the following related question.
If the Striker is walking down the pitch for a fast bowler then should the Keeper be allowed to walk up to the stumps?
Would the Striker's movement make any difference to the distance you would allow the keeper to move?
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Post by sillypoint on Jun 30, 2013 2:18:15 GMT
Law 40.4 does not give the wicketkeeper any licence to move towards the wicket "before [the ball] reaches the striker" in response to any movement by the striker, although it does allow him to move in response to the pace of the delivery. If you think about it, the striker may only walk down the pitch BECAUSE the keeper is standing back. Wicketkeepers will often counter that kind of movement by standing closer to the wicket; that is perfectly OK, but sneaking up during the deliver is not.
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