Lost ball

An instance in which it is not able to carry out any game activities with the ball is referred to as a lost ball, also known as a dead ball. Chris Gale, Andre Russell, and AB de Villiers are the cricketers who “lost” the ball more often than others. This is a classic example of the phenomenon in which the projectile departs the field, rendering it pointless to seek for it.

Lost Ball: Definition and Historical Context

There is a reference to the lost ball in three different Laws articles: №4de, №18, and №20. The most recent of them was revised in 2017, which resulted in a dramatic shift in how the incident was interpreted. This is something that should be clarified. Therefore, in particular, the previous version of article №20 permitted all players on the field, without exception, to proclaim the lost ball, after which it was immediately placed in the category of the dead.

At the same time, any wounds that were added in the event of a No ball, the majority of the runs that were completed, as well as those that the batters did not have time to finish, were preserved for the battering team. However, this was only the case if they crossed the court before the moment that the Lost ball was proclaimed.

Conditions for Declaring a Dead Ball

The latest version of Laws details in which cases the ball can be declared dead:

1. It fell into the hands of a wicket-keeper or bowler;
2. Touched the border;
3. The batsman has been sent off (in this situation, the ball becomes dead from the very beginning of the episode that caused the sending off);
4. Regardless of whether the ball was put into play or not, it was caught between the bat and the body of the batsman or parts of clothing and / or equipment;
5. The ball is stuck in the batsman’s outfit or the referee’s clothing;
6. One of the players violated the rules, for example, Law № 24, paragraph 4 (Returning without permission);
7. In violation of Law № 28, paragraph 3. one of the field players put a protective helmet on the field (except a position behind the wicket-keeper on the line of both wickets);
8. The match ends in any of the ways mentioned in Law № 12, clause 9;
9. The referee, who is on the same side of the field as the bowler, notes that both batsmen no longer consider the ball in play.

No matter what the circumstances of the game episode are, the referee is the one who makes the ultimate decision on the lost ball. Besides that, he can call the ball dead if there was foul play, if a cricket player or the judge was badly hurt, or if the crossbar of the wicket fell before the shooter could hit it or wasn’t ready for it for a good reason, like if he was purposely distracted.

Lost Ball: Equipment Standards

The new edition of Laws clarifies that any penalties, previously performed wounds, and the current wound (provided that batsmen managed to cross) remain in force and affect the final score. If batsmen did not have enough time to cross the boundary before the announcement of the lost ball, then they will be required to return to their starting positions, and any wounds that have not been completed will not be eligible for counting.

Another important factor is ball wear. Since its condition affects the service rate and the game as a whole, after the ball is declared dead, the referee is obliged to replace the projectile with a similar one. In accordance with Section 4 of the Laws, the referees are responsible for not only inspecting all balls that are used on the field before the match, but they are also in charge of the balls themselves (for instance, the referee is the one who takes the ball after the wicket has been destroyed or during the break in the game).

Within the context of this situation, the leaders of the teams have the authority to request a new ball at the beginning of each inning.

This is interesting: according to Law №. 4, paragraph 1, a new ball that the referee puts into play at the start must weigh at least 155.9 and no more than 163 grams and have a circumference of at least 22.4 and no more than 22.9 cm.