Cricket is a spectator sport and it can be both funny and cruel at the same time. The freak dismissal of New Zealand batsman Henry?Nicholls against England produced another moment of contrasting emotions.?
This, however, was not imagined by any of the players, umpires, or fans. The bizarre incident took place on the first day of the 3rd Test. After being rocked early by English bowlers, Kiwis were left reeling at 83-4.?
Nicholls, who was then joined at the crease by?Daryl Mitchell, was looking?to stitch up a partnership and hold the innings together.?
While the southpaw had struggled, he just had to negotiate five deliveries before umpires would have called tea.?However, on the second delivery of the 56th over, the game of cricket went all funny.?
Nicholls would have been expecting four runs when he middled a drive off Jack Leach, but what transpired?was truly bizarre.?Nicholls' booming drive?deflected from his own teammate's bat and flew into the hands of?Alex Lees at mid-off.
¡°How has it got there?!¡± exclaimed Nasser Hussain on commentary.
¡°Mitchell¡¯s at the non-striker¡¯s end, he¡¯s trying to get his bat out of the way, the umpire¡¯s trying to get out of the way¡ and Mitchell¡¯s middled it straight to mid-off.
¡°I cannot believe that, I really can¡¯t.¡±
It all happened so quickly that Leach couldn't believe he had another wicket to his name. He was looking towards long-on when his teammates started celebrating and looked perplexed after realising the ball was in Lees' hands.
After Nicholls' dismissal, Mitchell continued his scintillating form in the series, however, ending the day unbeaten on 78 off 159 balls. Kiwi wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, who has also been among the runs this series and has formed a particularly strong partnership with Mitchell, is at the other end with 45 onboard off 108 balls. The highlight of the day, however, was the manner of Nicholls' dismissal.?
At stumps, New Zealand were 225-5.?
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