As the opening T20I between Australia and Scotland in Edinburgh drew to a close, conversations shifted from Travis Head's explosive batting to the intriguing 'long ball' strategy employed by left-arm spinner Mark Watt, illuminating the ambiguous aspects of cricket law that his unconventional approach tests.
After a boundary by Mitchell Marsh, Watt bowled one of his signature 25-yard deliveries to Josh Inglis, who hesitated and stepped away, leading to the ball knocking off the leg bail. The umpire ruled it a 'dead ball,' although he seemed to consult Inglis about the situation.
"I’m just trying to put pressure on the batters," Watt explained earlier. "By the time I've bowled, the batsman looks up and sees the ball halfway down the pitch."
According to Law 20.4.2.5, the umpire's decision was justified—"Either umpire shall call and signal dead ball when…the striker is not ready for the delivery of the ball and, if the ball is delivered, makes no attempt to play it." Provided the umpire deems the batter had a valid reason for not being prepared, the delivery does not count as part of the over.
However, "adequate reason" is subject to the umpire's judgement, and Watt appeared to believe Inglis was ready to bat. Freeze frames suggested that Inglis was still focused on tapping his bat when Watt began his run-up, though he did face the bowler before the ball was bowled.
Preston Mommsen, former Scotland captain and commentator, noted that Inglis was fortunate. "Given the unexpected nature of the delivery coming from 23 or 24 yards, he's a very lucky man to still be at the crease," he remarked.
While the outcomes of the match wouldn't have changed because of this controversy, it reignited the discussion about whether Watt was robbed of a potential wicket. A similar incident occurred during the T20 World Cup earlier this year, where Oman's Khalid Kail was 'bowled' after stepping away, but umpire Chris Brown called it a dead ball. On that occasion, Watt and captain Richie Berrington engaged with the umpire, but in this latest match, aside from some animated gestures, play continued amidst boos from the crowd following the two dead-ball calls.
Tom Moody, who provided commentary during the World Cup incident, believed Kail was indeed ready and that the ball should not have been ruled dead. "The batter’s looking up. He’s ready. To me, that is a legitimate ball. As soon as the batter has placed his bat down, faced up, and looked at the bowler, he’s ready to go," Moody asserted.
Australia was already on alert for Watt's tactics during their encounter with Scotland in the T20 World Cup in St. Lucia, where both Inglis and Stoinis were part of the squad.