Badly done by Kiwis still managed to score win

[Valve Bounce]

Kiwi Grant Elliot was given out after England captain Collingwood refused to withdraw his appeal. A Reuters picture clearly shows that England player Ryan Sidebottom not only shoulder charged Kiwi Grant Elliot knocking him half senseless, but he was also holding the Kiwi, a clear case of holding the man - Elliot should have been awarded a free kick and a fifty metre penalty. Instead he was given out.

[Rollo]

I'd like to see the photograph in question, as I didn't see this live and as yet having seen anything other than stills.

3 things at play here:

Law 37 says "Either batsman is out Obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action. It shall be regarded as obstruction if either batsman wilfully, and without the consent of the fielding side, strikes the ball with his bat or person, other than a hand not holding the bat, after the ball has touched a fielder."

According to law 42.5 "it is unfair for any member of the fielding side, by word or action, wilfully to attempt to distract or to obstruct either batsman after the striker has received the ball." It goes on to say that neither batsman can be dismissed and the umpire should immediately call a dead ball.

Under the law 27.8 , a captain has that right to withdraw an appeal with the umpire's consent but failure to invoke it left New Zealand 220 for 8. Understandably they were miffed.

However, New Zealand themselves are hardly ones to call the cap black. They were guilty of a smilar offence when they ran out Muttiah Muralitharan in Dec of 2006. Muralitharan completed a run, then stepped out of his ground to congratulate Kumar Sangakkara for making a century. McCullum broke the stumps and didn't withdraw the appeal.

I don't know what the answer is here, and I'm reserving my judgement until I've seen it better.

[Valve Bounce]

Sorry Rollo - the pic is in the newspaper The Australian clearly showing the England player grabbing the back as well as the hand of the Kiwi player after he shoulder charged him. However, there is no pic in the internet version of the paper, although there are two accounts of the incident.
I feel that the fielding side should not knock over a guys stumps after they shoulder charge the guy and then hold him back. You might get better pics and/or articles from the English online press.


To make it worse, Collingwood has now been banned for two games for not bowling the number of overs in the required time. I think that's just plain silly.