The Colac-South West Cricket Premier Division grand final was marred by a controversial obstructing the field dismissal that has prompted plenty of debate.
Chasing a 227-run target during Saturday’s final in Colac, Stoneyford was 2-25 in the seventh over when Ben Grinter defended a delivery from Birregurra seamer Michael Fallon, immediately picking up the ball and underarming it back towards the bowler.
A couple of Birregurra fielders, including Fallon, appealed for obstructing the field, with the on-field umpire awarding the dismissal, sending Grinter back to the sheds for 1.
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Although there appeared to be no risk of the ball rolling back into the stumps, the umpire made the right decision, with Article 37.4 of the Laws of Cricket stating: “Either batter is out obstructing the field if, at any time while the ball is in play and, without the consent of a fielder, they use the bat or any part of their person to return the ball to any fielder.”
However, when footage of the dismissal circulated online, fans speculated on whether Birregurra should have withdrawn their appeal, sparking a spirit of cricket debate.
Despite the controversial moment, Stoneyford recovered to win the match by two wickets, chasing the target with seven balls to spare. Opener Dominic Dare top-scored with a 106-ball 98, while Fallon finished with figures of 2-46 from ten overs.