The Ashes, Second Test: MCC Defends Mitchell Starc’s Invalid Catch of Ben Duckett

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) intervened to clarify the contentious decision about Mitchell Starc’s catch of England batsman Ben Duckett on Day 4 of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Friday.

In the last session, Duckett edged a Cameron Green delivery, and Starc, fielding at deep fine leg, sprinted a few yards to collect a catch. Replays revealed that the Australian eventually scuffed the ball across the ground.

The third umpire, Marais Erasmus, decided that Starc was not in control of his movement as a consequence of which he accidentally touched the ball to the ground. Duckett was thus not handed away.

According to Law 33.3 of the MCC’s Laws of Cricket, “the act of making a catch shall start from the time the ball first comes into contact with a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his/her own movement.”

The MCC reiterated the policy on its Twitter account:

A catch is only considered to be made when the fielder has “complete control over the ball and his/her movement,” according to Law 33.

It added, “The ball cannot touch the ground before then,” as an additional explanation. In this instance, Mitchell Starc was not in control of his movement since he was still sliding when the ball made contact with the ground.

Several times in the current Ashes Test series as well as in the ICC World Test Championship final between Australia and India last month, the legislation was already put into effect.

Start and Australia’s captain Pat Cummins were key in getting rid of England’s top order during their run chase in the fourth innings, but on the last day of the match on Sunday, opposing captain Ben Stokes and Duckett put up a tenacious fifty-run partnership to spice things up.