Stumped - off a dead ball?

"Everybody got very agitated about a stumping. Our off-spinner bowled a ball which he thought just touched the outside edge of the bat. The 'keeper took it, appealed for the catch, then instinctively whipped off the bails and appealed for a stumping. The umpire at the bowler's end said 'Not out', quickly followed by 'Over'. Immediately after this, the square-leg umpire gave the batsman out - Stumped.

Surely the ball is dead the moment 'Over' is called?"



This section of Law 23 was rewritten in the October 2010 Law changes.

The umpire at the bowler's end should wait until he thinks the ball is dead and then call Over. He will consider it to be dead when it is clear that the fielding side and both batsmen have ceased to regard it in play.

But the appeal doesn't die at that moment!

Any action that takes place before the call of Over is still valid until the ball next comes into play, when the bowler commences his run-up - unless Time has been called - and so an answer to that appeal must be given.





Read more about Law 27.3 (Appeals) and Law 23 (Dead ball) at the MCC website