Timed out in cricket

Question

I've learned that timed out means the batsman takes over 3 minutes to enter the field of play after a wicket falls.

• Which batsman will be given out for this? (ie, whether the batting team had any chance to give wicket of any of its batsmen or the wicket will be given according to the batting order)

• Will this wicket be given to the bowler?

• Will this innings be counted +1 to the career of the batsman?

• Are there any batsman given timed-out in international cricket history?

Answer 1

In the MCC Laws, Law 31 states that,

(a) After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batsman, the incoming batsman must, unless Time has been called, be in position to take guard or for his partner to be ready to receive the next ball within 3 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batsman will be out, Timed out.

(b) In the event of protracted delay in which no batsman comes to the wicket, the umpires shall adopt the procedure of Law 21.3 (Umpires awarding a match). For the purposes of that Law the start of the action shall be taken as the expiry of the 3 minutes referred to above.

Which batsman will be given out for this?

The incoming batsman will be given out. In the scenario that no batsman comes out, the umpire will award the match to the bowling side.

Will this wicket be given to the bowler?

The bowler does not get credit for the dismissal

Will this innings be counted +1 to the career of the batsman?

Yes, this score will be counted to the career average and other statistics of the batsman.

Is there any batsman given timed-out in international cricket history?

As of November 2023, there has been only one timed out dismissal in international cricket, Angelo Matthews in the 2023 World Cup. Wikipedia notes six further timed-out dismissals in domestic cricket:

1. Andrew Jordaan - Eastern Province v Transvaal at Port Elizabeth in 1987–88[3]
2. Hemulal Yadav - Tripura v Orissa at Cuttack in 1997
3. Vasbert Drakes - Border v Free State at East London in 2002
4. AJ Harris - Nottinghamshire v Durham UCCE at Nottingham in 2003
5. Ryan Austin - Combined Campuses and Colleges v Windward Islands in 2014
6. Charles Kunje - Tuskers v Mountaineers in 2017

P.S: Twenty20 cricket rules stipulates that a batsman must be on the field within 90 seconds, rather than the three minutes specified in the Laws, although the batsman is not automatically out in this instance; the bowler is allowed to bowl the ball without the batsman there in an attempt to bowl him out.