In the Women’s Hundred Final at Lord’s, Sunrisers Leeds batter Phoebe Litchfield was out Caught by Georgia Adams off the bowling of Charley Phillips.

Adams was at short fine leg but, as Phillips began her long run up, she moved around five yards finer, to her left.  Then, in a second movement once she could see that Litchfield was shaping to play a fine sweep as the ball was delivered, she moved further to her left and then completed a catch leaping high to her left.

What do the Laws say about all this movement?

Law 28.6 says:

28.6.1 Any movement by any fielder, excluding the wicket-keeper, after the ball comes into play and before the ball reaches the striker, is unfair except for the following:

28.6.1.1 minor adjustments to stance or position in relation to the striker’s wicket.

28.6.1.2 movement by any fielder, other than a close fielder, towards the striker or the striker’s wicket that does not significantly alter the position of the fielder.

28.6.1.3 movement by any fielder in response to the stroke that the striker is playing or that his/her actions suggest he/she intends to play.

So, once the bowler has started their run up, a fielder may walk in, towards the batter, but cannot move sideways or backwards, unless or until it is in response to a shot that the striker is shaping to play. 

The second part of Adams’ movement was therefore legitimate – she saw Litchfield shaping to play a fine sweep, so it was lawful quick-thinking for her to react to that.  

The first part, however, was a contravention of the Law, of which some of the players and commentators were seemingly unaware, with one commentator calling it “brilliant” and another describing it as “a good bit of tactics”, highlighting the need for clarification. The batter has an absolute right to know where the fielders are, and any change of position, like Adams’ movement during the run up, is a clear violation of this right. Any sideways movement after the bowler begins their run-up, until the striker signifies what shot they will play, is therefore illegal. 

The on-field umpires, who cannot always be expected to spot everything when they have other things to observe, did not see the illegal movement and so the dismissal stood.  If they had noticed it, they would have called Dead ball and awarded 5 Penalty Runs to the batting side.  

Unlike some other Law breaches, this one carries no warnings. If a fielder, or the fielding captain, realises that they are not happy with the field as set, and wants to change it after the bowler has started their run-up, they need to stop the bowler from releasing the ball, so that the umpires call Dead ball – there is no penalty for this, unless it is so repeated that it is considered timewasting. However, changing the field in this sort of significant way after the bowler has started their run-up is unfair and should result in Penalty Runs.

Had it been noticed by the umpires, Law 31.8 covers the timeframe when the dismissal can be overturned:

A batter may be recalled at any time up to the instant when the ball comes into play for the next delivery, unless it is the final wicket of the innings, in which case it should be up to the instant when the umpires leave the field.

So, once the bowler had begun her run-up for the next delivery, the Out decision would have to stand.