Watch: Chris Green Sparks Obstructing The Field Laws Debate After Blocking Return Throw With Bat | Sheffield Shield 2023/24

Watch: New South Wales’ Chris Green was involved in an obstructing the field appeal on day two of the Sheffield Shield clash against Western Australia.

Green, batting at No. 8 in the first innings, made a full block of Western Australian seamer Charlie Stobo‘s fastball and caught the ball on the follow-through.

When Stobo realized that Green was outside his crease, he threw the ball towards the stumps to drive him out of the field. Green stood up straight and made a second block with his bat to keep the ball from hitting his foot.

This prompted a Western Australian fielder to request a sending off for obstruction of defence, but Green seemed amused. After meeting and talking for a while, the judges rejected the appeal and did not exclude Green.

According to

Law 37.2, “if the interference or diversion is accidental, or if the interference is intended to prevent injury, or , a batter cannot be ejected for interfering with the playing field. ..”The batsman makes his second and subsequent strokes to legally protect the wicket in accordance with Rule 34.3 (Ball legally struck more than once).”

Western Australia coach Adam Voges said at the end of the day’s play that he had asked the umpires for an explanation as to why Green was not given out, but had not yet received one.

“We are waiting to hear from the referee what his interpretation is. We have asked questions, but we have not received an answer yet,” Voges said.

The referees probably felt that the interference was to “avoid injury” and therefore decided not to eliminate it. In another recent incident involving pitch interference, anEngland U19 batsman was thrown out after picking up what appeared to be a dead ball and handing it to his Zimbabwe U19 wicketkeeper.