Dead ball (cricket)
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In the sport of cricket, a dead ball is a particular state of play in which the players may not perform any of the active aspects of the game. In other words, batsmen may not score runs and fielders may not attempt to get batsmen out.
The ball, referring to the cricket ball, becomes live when the bowler begins his run up in preparation to bowling at the batsman. In the live state, play occurs with the batsmen able to score runs and get out.
The ball then becomes dead when any of the following situations occur:
- The umpire is satisfied that, with adequate reason, the batsman is not ready for the delivery of the ball.
- The ball passes the batsman, is gathered by the wicket-keeper, and the batsmen obviously decline to attempt to take runs.
- The ball is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or the bowler, and the batsmen obviously decline to attempt to take any more runs.
- The umpire feels that both the fielding team and the batsmen consider the ball to no longer be in play.
- The ball reaches the boundary and four runs or six runs are scored.
- Either batsman is out.
- The ball lodges in the clothing or equipment of a batsman or umpire.
- The ball lodges in a protective helmet worn by a fielder.
- The batsmen attempt to run leg byes, and, in the umpire's opinion, no attempt was made to either hit the ball with the bat or evade it. This nullifies the leg byes.
- The umpire intervenes in the occurrence of injury or unfair play.
Umpires may also call dead ball at their discretion, in the case of a series for events for which there is no provision in either the Laws of Cricket or agreements made prior to the match. This happened on 9 October 2005, when Australian batsman Michael Hussey hit the retracted roof at the Telstra Dome. What would have been six in an open stadium was ruled a dead ball, and no runs were awarded.
Note that the ball becomes dead as soon as a batsman is out, so it is not possible to immediately dismiss the other batsman. Thus the baseball concept of a double play cannot occur in cricket.
If necessary to make it clear to the players that the umpire considers the ball to be dead, the umpire signals dead ball by crossing and uncrossing his arms in front of his body.
