Was Brendan Taylor unlucky to be given out hit-wicket?

Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor was adjudged out hit-wicket during the second Ond-Day International (ODI) between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare. Taylor was batting extremely well and had set his eyes on a big score. Having lost the first game by a whopping 155 runs, Zimbabwe would have wanted to bounce back in the three-match series.

However, Taylor's innings was cut short on 46 off 57 balls after he had knocked the bails with his bat in the 25th over of the innings bowled by Shoriful Islam. Taylor is the 11th player from Zimbabwe to be dismissed in this fashion in ODIs.

The Zimbabwe captain came mighty close to knocking the wickets over in the ninth over when he slipped and the boots came off, landing very close to the stumps. If The boot had indeed hit the wickets, there is no doubt he would have been adjudged out, and rightly so. However, he was not so lucky a few overs later.

Taylor in a bid to play the ramp shot missed the ball altogether. He was shadow practicing the shot when his bat tipped over the bails. He was through his shot, which means that the delivery bowled by the bowler had no impact on him whatsoever in his tipping the bails over.

Taylor was also not looking for a run when he hit the bails with his bat. 

The rules for hit-wicket are as follows:

35.1.1 The striker is out Hit wicket if, after the bowler has entered the delivery stride and while the ball is in play, his/her wicket is put down by either the striker’s bat or person as described in Laws 29.1.1.2 to 29.1.1.4 (Wicket put down) in any of the following circumstances:

35.1.1.1 in the course of any action taken by him/her in preparing to receive or in receiving a delivery,

35.1.1.2 in setting off for the first run immediately after playing or playing at the ball,

35.1.1.3 if no attempt is made to play the ball, in setting off for the first run, providing that in the opinion of the umpire this is immediately after the striker has had the opportunity of playing the ball,

35.1.1.4 in lawfully making a second or further stroke for the purpose of guarding his/her wicket within the provisions of Law 34.3 (Ball lawfully struck more than once).

35.1.2 If the striker puts his/her wicket down in any of the ways described in Laws 29.1.1.2 to 29.1.1.4 before the bowler has entered the delivery stride, either umpire shall call and signal Dead ball."

What are Laws 29.1.1.2 to 29.1.1.4?

29.1.1  The wicket is put down if a bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or a stump is struck out of the ground,

29.1.1.1 by the ball,

29.1.1.2 by the striker’s bat if held or by any part of the bat that he/she is holding,

29.1.1.3 for the purpose of this law only, by the striker's bat not in hand, or by any part of the bat which has become detached,

29.1.1.4 by the striker’s person or by any part of his/her clothing or equipment becoming detached from his/her person

Taylor could consider himself a tad unlucky as there have been instances in the past wherein the batsman has not been given out hit-wicket. 

One such was that of Mark Waugh against South Africa in a Test match in 1998.

More recently, West Indies' Oshane Thomas was also not given out hit-wicket as he knocked the bails over after completing his shot. Incidentally, that match too was against Bangladesh during the 2019 World Cup.

When referred to the third umpire, he clearly states that the batsman had already finished his shot before knocking the bails over. Hence, Thomas was adjudged NOT OUT.

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