ENG Vs AUS, 2nd Test, Ashes 2023: MCC Clarifies Why Mitchell Starc’s Attempted Catch Of Ben Duckett Was Given Not Out

New Delhi: Mitchell Starc’s controversial catch that dismissed Ben Duckett on the fourth day of the ongoing second Ashes Test at Lord’s invited different opinions on Saturday. Putting an end to all discussions, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) revealed what transpired the third umpire to give the decision in favour of the batter.

In the closing stages of the day, the Australian team thought that they had taken the crucial wicket of English left-hander Ben Duckett when he top-edged a Cameron Green delivery to deep fine-leg where Starc caught the ball. Replays revealed that the Australian fielder touched the ball across the ground shortly after he grabbed it while taking it and fell to his left.

The third umpire (Marais Erasmus) ruled Duckett not out because the fielder did not have complete control over his movements, according to MCC.

In relation to the below incident, Law 33.3 clearly states that a catch is only completed when the fielder has “complete control over the ball and his/her own movement.”

See here for full clarification: https://t.co/cCBoJd6xOS#MCCLaws pic.twitter.com/TEOE1WKJvu

— Marylebone Cricket Club (@MCCOfficial) July 1, 2023

According to MCC’s Law 33.3, it states that “the act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his/her own movement.”

In this case, it was deemed by third umpire upon review of the catch that Starc was not in control of his own movement when the ball was brushed against the turf. “Law 33.3 clearly states that a catch is only completed when the fielder has ‘complete control over the ball and his/her movement’.

“The ball cannot touch the ground before then. In this particular incident, Mitchell Starc was still sliding as the ball rubbed the ground, therefore he was not in control of his movement,” the cricket’s lawmakers said.

Brief Scores: England: 325 and 114/4 (Ben Duckett 50*, Ben Stokes 29, Mitchell Starc 2/40) trail Australia: 416 and 222/5 (Usman Khawaja 77, Steve Smith 34, Josh Tongue 2/43) by 257 runs.