The Free Hit Rule - Beamers

[karnog]

Add to that if a bowler bowls the beamer twice in his 4 over spell he cannot bowl for the rest of the game.

 

[Slowcoach]

I think that is a bit harsh Karnog, how about if the bowler hits the batsman in the head twice with a beamer in his four over spell then he is banned from bowling for the rest of the innings.

Then again, that seems a bit harsh too, that would be penalising the bowler for being too accurate.

 

[manee]

Free hit should certainly be given for a beamer. A beamer is infinately worse than a front foot no ball and any extra disincentive for a beamer should be introduced.

My opinion is that free hits should be kept out of Test cricket and kept in limited overs cricket. I feel that a free hit would be far too gimmicky for Test cricket - which can still appeal () to the modern audience without being gimmicky. Their is a fine line between something necessary like referrals and something gimmicky like free hits.

 

[karnog]

I think that is a bit harsh Karnog, how about if the bowler hits the batsman in the head twice with a beamer in his four over spell then he is banned from bowling for the rest of the innings.

Then again, that seems a bit harsh too, that would be penalising the bowler for being too accurate.

Its happened before in an ODI game. Shoiab Ahktar bowled two beamers at Symonds in an over. The umpire told the captain he could no longer bowl for the game. I think this was at a world cup- 2003 i think. Bob Woolmer was the umpire maybe

 

[angryangy]

Law 42 (Fair and unfair play)
6. Dangerous and unfair bowling
...
(b) Bowling of high full pitched balls

• Any delivery, other than a slow paced one, which passes or would have passed on the full above waist height of the striker standing upright at the crease is to be deemed dangerous and unfair, whether or not it is likely to inflict physical injury on the striker.
• A slow delivery which passes or would have passed on the full above shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the crease is to be deemed dangerous and unfair, whether or not it is likely to inflict physical injury on the striker.

7. Dangerous and unfair bowling - action by the umpire
...
(c) Should there be any further repetition by the same bowler in that innings, the umpire shall

• call and signal No ball.
• direct the captain, when the ball is dead, to take the bowler off forthwith. The over shall be completed by another bowler, who shall neither have bowled the previous over nor be allowed to bowl the next over.
  The bowler thus taken off shall not be allowed to bowl again in that innings.
• report the occurrence to the other umpire, the batsmen and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side.
• report the occurrence, with the other umpire, as soon as possible to the Executive of the fielding side and to any Governing Body responsible for the match, who shall take such action as is considered appropriate against the captain and bowler concerned.

The lawful penalty for beamers is much greater than that for over-stepping. With the front foot no-ball, the free hit rule is just a way of making the bowler care about it, because ordinarily, 4 or 5 extras is no big deal. With beamers though, no self respecting bowler wants to bowl them and most know that they can get you taken out of the attack.

The current WA vs Vic game created an amusing anecdote on the topic. The left arm fast bowler Dirk Nannes' first ball of the game was a low full toss outside Shaun Marsh's off stump, which he squirted to gully for a cheap wicket. Nannes then bowled a pair of high and wide full toss to Pomersbach, both called no-balls and Nannes was removed from the attack by umpire Craig, with the incredible figures of one wicket for two runs off one legal delivery.

Peter Siddle then bowled the rest of Nannes' over and took on his spell. Near the end of Siddle's fourth over, he floored the opening batsman Liam Davis with a perfectly legal bouncer. Davis had to retire hurt to receive stitches.

 

[Jakester1288]

I reckon that over neck hight beamers should be free hits, anything below shouldn't though. They pretty much are free hits anyway.

 

[Shafeeq]

Regarding free hit for the ball above waist height

It is must that the free hit rule should be brought for the ball above waist height also..because it minimizes the amount of beamers..apology is not the right way to go if the bowler bowls a beamer..becoz if it hurts the batsmen a simple apology will not cure the injury