Laws and tradition govern cricket more than almost any other sport.
However, as the standard and athletes evolve so must the rules.
The Super Over rule. The concussion rule. No runners for batsmen. Amending DRS rules for Umpire’s Call: you get the point.
Cricket has evolved significantly since rogues began wearing pyjamas in the short form.
In a bid to counter the we wuz robbed conversations, MCC’s laws guru Fraser Stewart joins Sporting News to break down the occasionally-confusing laws of cricket as they become topical.
EPISODE 1: IS IT SIX OR OUT IF THE CATCHER CONTACTS A PLAYER WHO TOUCHES THE BOUNDARY ROPE?
It seems straightforward enough: the ball is hit out to deep square leg where two fielders chase and one takes the catch. The rules of cricket say that is out, correct? Add in a boundary rope, modern cricketers’ penchant for gravity defying defence and the answer is a lot murkier than you’d expect.
To give the ruling, we’re relying on the final word in cricket: MCC laws guru, Fraser Stewart.
BONUS EPISODE: BATSMAN IS OUT AND BATTER IS IN
Since the last redraft of the laws in 2017, Women’s cricket has exploded on the international scene and domestically in Australia.
A packed-out MCG to watch Australia defeat India in the T20 World Cup final can attest to that.
“MCC believes in cricket being a game for all and this move recognises the changing landscape of the game in modern times,” Jamie Cox, Assistant Secretary (Cricket and Operations) at MCC said
“Use of the term “batter” is a natural evolution in our shared cricketing language and the terminology has already been adopted by many of those involved in the sport. It is the right time for this adjustment to be recognised formally and we are delighted, as the Guardians of the Laws, to announce these changes today.”
There you have it: Batsmen are out and batters are in; The MCC's Fraser Stewart joins Melinda Farrell to explain why the laws of cricket have adopted gender-neutral terms.