I read an article recently that made me smile at the headline and then shake my head in disbelief at what happened.
It was about a Mankad incident in club cricket here in Yorkshire. It wasn’t the first and it won’t be the last – but even so.
You’re a knowledgeable lot so you’ll probably know this but just in case – A ‘Mankad’ is a run out at the non-striker’s end before a ball has been bowled.
(Photo is a regulation appeal, not a Mankad!)
To Mankad or not to Mankad?
A batter is meant to stay in their crease or they are gaining an unfair advantage. I was literally taught that at the age of nine. Yes, by all means back up…i.e.) be ready but don’t leave the crease before the ball is bowled.
Many things have changed in cricket in the 30+ years since I was given that stern sermon at school, while wearing pads that were too big, had buckles (remember those?) and needed to be whitewashed with a paintbrush every now and then.
A Mankad is controversial because a) it’s a truly awful way to claim a wicket and b) it pits the laws of the game against the spirit of the game.
It is completely and utterly preventable and the onus is on the batter whether they wish to take that risk.
Since 1 October 2022, it has been a legal (if cringeworthy) way to effect a run-out.
We can dance around the relative arguments from the perspective of bowler, batter, lawmaker and armchair spectator – but that’s been done many times before.
Instead, we can (probably) all agree that its origins are in the professional game and in recent years, more Mankads are happening (with more formats and tournaments) and this inevitably transfers quickly to grassroots.
Kids see this behaviour from their idols and think it’s ok to copy in their own matches. Adults too incidentally.
Except it’s a job for county cricketers, T20 franchises or internationals that pays the bills and the stakes are considerably higher. It doesn’t make it right but I can kinda wrap my head around it.
Halifax Sunday League
I can’t, however, understand a situation as the one that unfolded in the Halifax Cricket League’s Sunday League Division 1 encounter between Triangle and Lightcliffe. It was cannily summed up by Paul Ramsden for the Lightcliffe Cricket Club website whose article was called: ‘A bit of a stink emanating from Grassy Bottom.’
That’s Triangle’s home ground, by the way. A beautiful, absolutely tiny ground on one side next to a river.
I have taken action against batters leaving their crease in matches, by stopping, making a show of pretending to whip the bails off and then warning them. It usually does the trick.
I guess if it keeps happening, you’d have to get creative. I don’t know what powers the umpire ultimately has but as the official in the middle, I’d be asking for them to intervene.
I’d be having a strong word with the batter in question or their partner at the other end. Or appeal and then withdraw it. Anything than actually having to do it for real.
But I do understand the frustration from the bowlers.
What happened here was that a 13-year-old playing senior cricket was Mankaded. Now, disclaimers first… I don’t know the context and wasn’t at the game but it was written as if no warning was given beforehand.
If that’s the case (and even if it wasn’t frankly), to do that in Sunday league cricket is quite a thing.
As Paul wrote: “Lightcliffe can take two great positives from this misadventure. The first is that Isaac showed great maturity in coping with the incident, and on reflection will learn a valuable lesson which may save his wicket in a far more important game in the future. Second, the restraint of the rest of the Lightcliffe side in getting on with the game and rising above the incident was a credit to them all.”
“If he wants to keep doing it, I’ll take them.” – Mitchell Starc insists a batter can only have so many Mankad warnings #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/Rq1KGugEKO
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2022
Are we seeing more Mankads?
Anecdotally, it feels like more pro batters are seeking to sneak out of their crease and gain a few yards. The speed of the international game is dialled up now from the bowling to the decision-making and not being switched on leads to runouts.
There’s also that drive to innovate – by which I mean push the boundaries of what’s allowed.
To answer my own question… it’s hard to say if there are more working their way into club cricket – but if we see one in the Ashes, you can guarantee it will crop up in the leagues the following week.
Mankads also tap into that realm of innovation – even though it’s been about since 1835 – (far earlier than Vinoo Mankad’s own effort in the 1947/48 tour of Australia by India after which the act has been nicknamed.
But, seriously, just stay in your crease. Don’t force bowlers to make a difficult call they usually don’t want to.
And if you do a Mankad in a match, withdraw the appeal. Stage a sit-in protest or tie the batter’s shoelaces together – but don’t go that route.
It might now be legal but then so is blowtorching your nether regions at home and I wouldn’t advise that either.
What do you think?
What are your thoughts on Mankads? Has it ever happened to you playing cricket or have you seen it in a club cricket match?
Leave a comment below, tweet me at @cricketyorks or have your say on Cricket Yorkshire’s Facebook page.
** Here’s the original article that prompted this one: A bit of a stink emanating from Grassy Bottom.
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Hi John. You’ll find the bowler running out the non-striker has been around a lot earlier that October 2022. That form of dismissal was moved the the Run Out section of the Laws then, but it existed in the same general format elsewhere in the Laws before that. The MCC has repeatedly said over the years it is a legitimate form of dismissal – put simply the non-striker is cheating by leaving their crease early.
Hi Martin, thanks for the clarification. I’ll freely admit I am happily ignorant of the MCC laws and certainly their history. The difficulty comes when the MCC makes a stance on the spirit of the game at the same time as allowing a Mankad as a legal dismissal. I agree though… when it’s all boiled down, leaving your crease before the ball is bowled is a form of cheating.
Sees to really have come to prominence in the women’s game. Which is quite sad, really.
Guess the Charlie Dean incident is front of mind but there may be others. Are you thinking pro or at grassroots?
Happened against my club 3 times on Saturday (same bowler). On all 3 occasions the Batters hadn’t left their crease so was absolutely pointless from the lad, all it did was create hostility in a game that shouldn’t have had any.
I was the batter for 2 of his “attempts”.
Attempt 1 he had fully completed his delivery stride, stopped and turned to try Mankad me, I’d only just got to the middle as a No.8 batter (hardly a threat). My brother (our club secretary) was on strike and was fuming when he tried it.
Attempt 2 he told the umpire he was going to do it next ball. I heard it so again stayed behind the crease.
Attempt 3 was on our No.10. Safe to say, my teammate never backs up so again pointless exercise.
Thankfully my mate hit the winning runs and we told the bowler if he carries on attempting in the Halifax Cricket League he will gain more enemies than friends.
Shameful. Unfortunately I can see it happening every week till end of season.
That is unbelievable Tom, three times in one innings! Well done for keeping your cool…
The rule is too complicated because the run out can’t be made after the non striker could reasonably have expected the ball to be released which is very subjective. Also the rule isn’t logical as the ball isn’t in play until released. a much better and less controversial method of dealing with this issue would be to instruct umpires to look out for stealing ground (or use technology) and to apply the existing run short rule where ground is stolen. Penalties could be applied for persistent offending. If we retain the existing rule then a player should be sent off for deliberately cheating by attempting mankad after commencement of delivery stride (like the Zampa incident)
Good to hear from you Alistair. You hit the nail on the head around it being subjective as to the point of release. I suggest the idea of a laser beam across the pitch linked to a chip in the ball that sounds a klaxon if the batter creeps ahead. Just need someone who works in tech to make it happen. 🙂
I have had to umpire several matches this last few years due to a serious shortage of umpires. I am not sure what I would do or how I would feel about a 13 year old being mankadded by a senior player in a game that I was standing in; but I think I would provide the bowler with two choices. Withdraw the appeal and give the lad a warning (and a polite lesson in backing up) – or insist that the decision is given and force me to dismiss the junior player. If the latter decision was taken, as a volunteer umpire helping both sides out, I would almost certainly walk off with the outgoing young player and ask them to find somebody else to fulfil the volunteer role of stand-in umpire because I most definitely wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my afternoon watching cricket being played in ‘that’ way. Rightly or wrongly, I wouldn’t waste my time officiating in a game whereby a player is willing to stoop so incredibly low to dismiss a young cricketer making his way in the game – not as a volunteer ‘helping the game go ahead’ role of makeshift umpire. People need to realise that it wont just be junior players that are put off the game when they behave in such a despicable way.
Thanks for your perspective and it’s a good point around the volunteers who make the game tick, including many umpires. I think you walking off with the Mankaded player would certainly be taking a stand.
Why oh why is this an issue? Why do you trot out the ridiculous ‘spirit of the game’ nonsense? Why is it a ‘truly awful way to claim a wicket’?
The batter is out of his ground therefore liable to be run out, end of story.
Also, it’s not up to the umpire to intervene except to give a decision, and a bowler cannot withdraw an appeal, but merely ask the umpire if he can withdraw. If the umpire doesn’t think there’s a valid reason then the appeal and dismissal stand.
Hi Craig, try and keep it polite, eh? Everyone’s views on here are just as valid as yours. The spirit of the game is a part of the argument. Umpiring interpretation is in this equation, as are the rules – but it’s more complex than that and incumbent on players. It may not be in the laws for an umpire to intervene but they could (and probably do) in many cases to keep things friendly.
I saw this happen some years ago in (honestly) a Danish women’s cup final. Two runs were needed off the last ball. The bowler Mankaded the non-stiker. Why not? That extra stolen ground could have been the difference between a run out or not, between victory and defeat.
However, I think Alistair Maiden has the best solution – apply the run short rule.
The purpose of moving ‘Mankad’ from Law 41 (unfair play) to Law 38 (run out) was to legitimise it as a method of dismissal.
In leaving his/her ground early, the non-striker is seeking to gain an advantage, just as he would if he advanced down the pitch at the other end when taking strike. No-one gives a warning before a stumping is attempted, so why should this be any different?
If say, in junior cricket, it is felt appropriate to ‘warn’ the batter as part of their education in the game that’s fine, but Craig is right, it should be seen now as a perfectly acceptable form of dismissal.