Obstructing the field

In the 2011 World Cup Final between India and Sri Lanka, Kohli was dismissed by a magnificent catch by Dilshan off his own bowling. The non-striker was backing away from Dilshan and was not interfering with his dive towards the ball.

On the radio, a commentator suggested that if the non-striker had moved towards Dilshan and interfered with the catch, he would have been out Obstructing the field.

This interpretation is in fact wrong. One of the strange quirks of Law 37 Obstructing the field is that the STRIKER would have been out Obstructing the field even though the non-striker committed the offence.

The Law states that The striker is out should wilful obstruction or distraction by either batsman prevent a catch being taken. The two important factors for the umpire to consider are whether the act was wilful or deliberate and whether a catch was being attempted.





Read more about Law 37 (Obstructing the field) at the MCC website