SK Epic Cricket Fails: Neil Wagner's bizarre run-out against Bangladesh

In the second frame Wagner’s feet are off the ground when the ball dislodges the bails

New Zealand won the second Test against Bangladesh convincingly by 9 wickets to clinch the series 2-0 but the game will be remembered for the bizarre run-out of Neil Wagner.

In the first innings after taking the lead New Zealand were placed at 353/9 with Wagner and Trent Boult at the crease.

Wagner placed the fourth delivery of the 92^nd over towards square leg to pinch a couple of runs. He did well to come back for the second and made it to the crease in time before Bangladesh wicket-keeper Nurul Hasan could take the bails off.

But as soon as Hasan dislodged the bails, the umpires went upstairs. Replays revealed that though Wagner had grounded his bat, at the time of the bails being dislodged his feet and the willow were in the air.

After reviewing the footage the third umpire had no choice but to declare the left-hander out. Wagner could not believe his luck and walked out of the ground a grumpy man.

 

The Unusual Run Out of Neil Wagner .... #Cricket #NZvBAN pic.twitter.com/a0tZ3VjykE

— Taimoor Zaman (@taimoorz1) January 24, 2017

Was it right to give Wagner out?

According to ICC's Law 29 (batsman out of his ground), "(a) batsman shall be considered to be out of his ground unless his bat or some part of his person is grounded behind the popping crease at that end."

In 2010, however, the rules was changed to "if a running batsman, having grounded some part of his foot behind the popping crease, continues running further towards the wicket at that end and beyond, then any subsequent total loss of contact with the ground of both his person and his bat during his continuing forward momentum shall not be interpreted as being out of his ground."

Wagner had not landed his feet beyond the popping crease and the umpire was thus right in declaring him out.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson was also quite miffed with the whole incident.

"It's obviously been around for a long time but it seems a little bit unfair," Hesson was quoted by AAP.

"When your bat bounces over the line once you've made your ground, that's not really what the run outs all about.

"I personally think it needs a bit of tinkering."

Well, Wagner had the run-out at the back of his mind probably when he came out to bowl. The left-arm seamer was bang on target and picked up three Bangladeshi wickets giving away just 44 runs.

New Zealand needed just 111 runs for the win, which they knocked off quite easily.