WATCH: Tom Banton & Mathew Renshaw Combine to Take a Catch to Dismiss Mathew Wade in the BBL 2019/20

It looked like a great team effort when Tom Banton and Matthew Renshaw teamed up to complete a catch after a few juggles and a pass on the boundary rope in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2019/20.

Eventually, it was. But it took some rule book reading to understand the legality of the catch.

Renshaw initially took the catch when Wade hit the ball towards him at long-on, but as he was getting over the boundary rope, he flipped the ball in the air and he himself went into the boundary rope. In the attempt, Renshaw could not flip the ball back into play and the ball was coming into the boundary rope. He then jumped and passed the ball onto Tom Banton while in air and the young Englishman completed the catch.

The third umpire eventually gave it out, and although it gave rise to some confusion, it clearly seemed to be out as per the laws of the game.

Amidst the confusion on the legality of the catch, Lord’s cricket stadium tweeted how the catch was completely within the laws of the game

What the Law says

Law 19.5.2 in the ICC Laws of cricket states that: “A catch will be fair only if, in every case either the ball, at any time or any fielder in contact with the ball, is not grounded beyond the boundary before the catch is completed.”

Also see: Ben Laughlin Takes a Flying Catch in the BBL 2019/20

The law further: “A fielder who is not in contact with the ground is considered to be grounded beyond the boundary if his/her final contact with the ground, before his/her first contact with the ball after it has been delivered by the bowler, was not entirely within the boundary.”