Cricket scorecards usually contain four columns under the extras section. Wide, No ball, Byes and leg byes. The unofficial ODI match between New Zealand A and Bangladesh A on Saturday (May 10) had a section called pen (penalty).
New Zealand’s opening batter Rhys Mariu faced Bangladesh’s Ebadot Hossain’s (36 International appearances) right-arm pace in the fifth over of the chase.
The batter didn’t offer any shot. The ball hit the helmet after it crossed the batter. Nurul Hasan, the captain and the wicket-keeper of Bangladesh A, was standing at an unusually wide position. None of his body parts were in line with the batting pitch.
New Zealand A were awarded five penalty runs based on the MCC’s Fielder law 28.3.2
Interpretation of the law
28.3 Protective helmets belonging to the fielding side
28.3.1 Protective helmets, when not in use by fielders, may not be placed on the ground, above the surface except behind the wicket-keeper and in line with both sets of stumps.
28.3.2 If the ball while in play strikes the protective helmet, placed as described in 28.3.1, the ball shall immediately become dead and, unless 28.3.3 applies:
– the umpire shall signal No ball or Wide to the scorers, if applicable
– the umpire shall award 5 Penalty runs to the batting side
– any runs completed by the batters before the ball strikes the protective helmet shall be scored, together with the run in progress if the batters had already crossed at the instant of the ball striking the protective helmet.
28.3.3 If the ball while in play strikes a helmet, placed as described in 28.3.1 and the circumstances of Law 23.3 (Leg byes not to be awarded), 25.7 (Restriction on the striker’s runner) or Law 34 (Hit the ball twice) apply, the umpire shall
– disallow all runs to the batting side
– return any not out batter to his/her original end
– signal No ball or Wide ball to the scorers if applicable
– award any 5-run Penalty that is applicable except for Penalty runs under 28.3.2.
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