Hit the ball twice
Encyclopedia
Hit the ball twice, or "double-hit", is a method of dismissal
in the sport
of cricket
.
states:
The bowler does not get credit for the wicket.
In 1622, several parishioners of Boxgrove
, near Chichester
in West Sussex
, were prosecuted for playing cricket in a churchyard on Sunday 5 May. There were three reasons for the prosecution: one was that it contravened a local bye-law; another reflected concern about church windows which may or may not have been broken; the third was that "a little childe had like to have her braines beaten out with a cricket batt"!
The latter situation was because the rules at the time allowed the batsman to hit the ball more than once and so fielding near the batsman was very hazardous, as two later incidents drastically confirm.
In 1624, a fatality occurred at Horsted Keynes
in East Sussex when a fielder called Jasper Vinall
was struck on the head by the batsman, Edward Tye, who was trying to hit the ball a second time to avoid being caught. Mr Vinall is thus the earliest known cricketing fatality. The matter was recorded in a coroner’s court, which returned a verdict of misadventure.
In 1647, another fatality was recorded at Selsey
, West Sussex, when a fielder called Henry Brand was hit on the head by a batsman trying to hit the ball a second time.
It is not known when the rules were changed to outlaw striking for the ball a second time or when the offence of obstructing the field
was introduced, but both those rules were clearly stated in the 1744 codification of the Laws of Cricket
, which were drawn up by the London Cricket Club
and are believed to be based on a much earlier code that has been lost.
The first definite record of a batsman being dismissed for hitting the ball twice occurred in the Hampshire
v Kent
match at Windmill Down
on 13–15 July 1786. Tom Sueter
of Hampshire, who had scored 3, was the player in question, as recorded in Scores and Biographies.
when John King
, playing for Leicestershire
against Surrey
at The Oval
tried to score a run after playing the ball twice to avoid getting bowled. Had he not tried to score a run, he would not have been out. Based on the history of the game, this method of dismissal is the second rarest after timed out
, although in modern times timed out has become more common.
One relatively recent example of a batsman being out "Hit the ball twice" was Kurt Wilkinson
's dismissal when playing for Barbados against Rest of Leeward Islands in the 2002-03 Red Stripe Bowl. The dismissal was controversial as there was doubt as to whether Wilkinson had "wilfully" struck the ball twice as required under the relevant law of cricket
.
Dismissal (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings...
in the sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
.
Definition
Law 34 of the Laws of cricketLaws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
states:
Law 34 (Hit the ball twice)
1. Out Hit the ball twice
(a) The striker is out Hit the ball twice if, while the ball is in play, it strikes any part of his person or is struck by his bat and, before the ball has been touched by a fielder, he wilfully strikes it again with his bat or person, other than a hand not holding the bat, except for the sole purpose of guarding his wicket. See 3 below and Laws 33 (Handled the ball) and 37 (Obstructing the field).
(b) For the purpose of this Law, 'struck' or 'strike' shall include contact with the person of the striker.
The bowler does not get credit for the wicket.
History
Cricket is often considered to be a rather gentle pastime but it has a history of extreme violence. In its early days, before the modern rules had universal effect, batsmen could go to almost any lengths to avoid being out. They could obstruct the fielders and they could hit the ball as many times as necessary to preserve their wicket. This had fatal consequences on more than one occasion and, ultimately, strict rules were introduced to prevent the batsman from physically attacking the fielders.In 1622, several parishioners of Boxgrove
Boxgrove
Boxgrove is a village and civil parish in the Chichester District of the English county of West Sussex, about five kilometres north east of the city of Chichester. The village is just south of the A285 road which follows the line of the Roman road Stane Street.The parish has an area of...
, near Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
in West Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, were prosecuted for playing cricket in a churchyard on Sunday 5 May. There were three reasons for the prosecution: one was that it contravened a local bye-law; another reflected concern about church windows which may or may not have been broken; the third was that "a little childe had like to have her braines beaten out with a cricket batt"!
The latter situation was because the rules at the time allowed the batsman to hit the ball more than once and so fielding near the batsman was very hazardous, as two later incidents drastically confirm.
In 1624, a fatality occurred at Horsted Keynes
Horsted Keynes
Horsted Keynes is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The village is located about eight kilometres north east of Haywards Heath, in the Weald...
in East Sussex when a fielder called Jasper Vinall
Jasper Vinall
Jasper Vinall was the first cricketer known to have been killed while playing the game.-Incident:...
was struck on the head by the batsman, Edward Tye, who was trying to hit the ball a second time to avoid being caught. Mr Vinall is thus the earliest known cricketing fatality. The matter was recorded in a coroner’s court, which returned a verdict of misadventure.
In 1647, another fatality was recorded at Selsey
Selsey
Selsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about seven miles south of Chichester, in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea...
, West Sussex, when a fielder called Henry Brand was hit on the head by a batsman trying to hit the ball a second time.
It is not known when the rules were changed to outlaw striking for the ball a second time or when the offence of obstructing the field
Obstructing the field
Obstructing the field is a rare method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 37 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action...
was introduced, but both those rules were clearly stated in the 1744 codification of the Laws of Cricket
Laws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
, which were drawn up by the London Cricket Club
London Cricket Club
The original London Cricket Club was formed by 1722 and was one of the foremost clubs in English cricket over the next four decades. It is closely associated with the Artillery Ground, where it played most of its home matches.-Early history of London cricket:...
and are believed to be based on a much earlier code that has been lost.
The first definite record of a batsman being dismissed for hitting the ball twice occurred in the Hampshire
Hampshire county cricket teams
Hampshire county cricket teams have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that...
v Kent
Kent county cricket teams
Kent county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. Kent, jointly with Sussex, is the birthplace of the sport...
match at Windmill Down
Windmill Down
Windmill Down is a rural location near the town of Hambledon in Hampshire. It was used as a venue for major cricket matches in the 18th century and from 1782 as the home of the Hambledon Club.-Opening of Windmill Down:...
on 13–15 July 1786. Tom Sueter
Tom Sueter
Thomas Sueter was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club....
of Hampshire, who had scored 3, was the player in question, as recorded in Scores and Biographies.
Unusual dismissal
An example of the dismissal occurred in 19061906 English cricket season
The 1906 English cricket season saw the Championship decided on the very last day with Kent just pipping Yorkshire for the title. George Hirst achieved the unique feat of a "double Double", i.e...
when John King
John King (cricketer)
John Herbert King was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Leicestershire between 1895 and 1925. He also played one Test match for England, which was against Australia at Lord's in 1909...
, playing for Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
tried to score a run after playing the ball twice to avoid getting bowled. Had he not tried to score a run, he would not have been out. Based on the history of the game, this method of dismissal is the second rarest after timed out
Timed out
Timed out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It occurs when an incoming batsman is not ready to play within three minutes of the previous batsman being out...
, although in modern times timed out has become more common.
One relatively recent example of a batsman being out "Hit the ball twice" was Kurt Wilkinson
Kurt Wilkinson
Kurt Jason Wilkinson in Applethwaites. He is a West Indies cricketer who plays for Barbados in the KFC Cup. He was dismissed by the unusual method of being adjudged out hit the ball twice in a Red Stripe Bowl match in 2002-03....
's dismissal when playing for Barbados against Rest of Leeward Islands in the 2002-03 Red Stripe Bowl. The dismissal was controversial as there was doubt as to whether Wilkinson had "wilfully" struck the ball twice as required under the relevant law of cricket
Laws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
.