Result of the game?

Question

Scenario - Final ball of the match and 2 runs are required to win. A fast bowler is bowling to a batsman who is standing one yard outside the popping crease. Bowler bowls a yorker which crushes the toes of the batsman, who gets injured and cannot run. He, though somehow keeps his bat in the crease, thereby eliminating a run-out opportunity. The ball, after crushing the toe goes to fine leg. In the meantime, the non striker runs to the strikers end, completes the run, turns back and safely returns to the non strikers end before the ball is thrown back.

Question - What is the result of the match?

1. Has the bowling team won? -> Though the non striker has reached the strikers end and gone back, the batsman hasnt made any effort to take a run. This is considered as a no run and the bowling team is declared winners.

2. Is the game a tie? -> The non striker has completed two runs whereas the striker has just gone back to the strikers end. The strikers effort is considered as a one-run-short and the two runs that non-striker has run is reduced to a single. This scenario, ties the scores and the match ends in a tie.

If you are aware of the ICC rules or the possible outcome of the game, please explain with reasons. Thanks!

Answer 1

The answer is clear. No run has been scored at all in this case. Both batsmen need to run and cross over in order to score runs.

Now, in normal circumstances if you run two but a batsmen doesn't quite ground their bat over the line during the first run, the Umpire calls 'one short' and 1 of the two runs is deducted. So I think you are asking whether this applies here; one batsmen has completed the runs and the other hasn't. However, the 'one short' rule doesn't apply because of part 5 of Law 18:

1. Deliberate short runs (a) Notwithstanding 4 above, if either umpire considers that either or both batsmen deliberately run short at his end, the umpire concerned shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of what has occurred. The bowler’s end umpire shall then (i) warn both batsmen that the practice is unfair and indicate that this is a first and final warning. This warning shall apply throughout the innings. The umpire shall so inform each incoming batsman. (ii) whether a batsman is dismissed or not, disallow all runs to the batting side from that delivery other than any runs awarded for penalties.

In this case, the fact that one batsmen hasn't run at all would constitute deliberately running short. The non-striker, seeing that the batsmen isn't running but continuing to run themselves, would receive a warning for attempting to score when it is clear the other batsmen is making no attempt to run. The warning would be meaningless though, since this is the last ball of the match.

So the short answer is that the batting team score nothing from the ball and the bowling team win.

Answer 2

The bowling team wins because no run has been scored from the delivery.

Runs are scored when the batsmen (plural) cross and make their ground at the other end. In this case, one batman has not made his ground at the other end (and arguably, they have not crossed, and also arguably, the running batsmen has also not made his ground, because the ground is the striker's if he has not left it).