Wagner’s run out was unfair, says Black Caps coach

Black Caps coach Mike Hesson has gone into bat for Neil Wagner after his unusual dismissal in the second test against Bangladesh, suggesting the laws governing run outs should be revisited.

Wagner was perplexed, then annoyed, after he was given out by third umpire Marais Eramus at Hagley Oval on Monday, ending the Black Caps first innings once they had gained a 65-run lead.

As the tailender completed a second run with fellow tailender Trent Boult, Wagner ground his bat over the popping crease but then lifted it as both feet also left the ground.

Unfortunately as Wagner got airborne debutant wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan cleverly flicked the ball onto the stumps.

On-field umpires Nigel Llong and Paul Reiffel referred the incident to Erasmus and after viewing several replays Wagner was given out, despite being virtually past the wickets as the bails were dislodged.

Wagner would have been able to continue a useful innings worth 26 had his feet touched the ground before within the crease at some point before the stumps were broken, even if they subsequently left the ground.

In 2010 the MCC amended Law 29 (batsman out of his ground) to rule that ‘‘if a running batsman, having grounded some part of his foot behind the popping crease, continues running further towards the wicket at that end and beyond, then any subsequent total loss of contact with the ground of both his person and his bat during his continuing forward momentum shall not be interpreted as being out of his ground.’’

However, because Wagner had not grounded his feet over the crease before Nurul’s flick he was out as Law 29 also states: ‘‘(a) batsman shall be considered to be out of his ground unless his bat or some part of his person is grounded behind the popping crease at that end.’’

Hesson sympathised with Wagner’s demise when reviewing the Black Caps nine-wicket victory before the squad disassembled on Tuesday.

‘‘It [Law 29] has obviously been around for a long time but it seems a little bit unfair,’’ he said. ‘‘I also think when your bat bounces over the line once you’ve made your ground, that’s not really what the run-outs are all about. ‘‘I personally think it needs a bit of tinkering.’’

Henry Nicholls, who added 57 for the ninth-wicket with Wagner described the dismissal as ‘‘bizarre’’ and thought Wagner was particularly motivated when Bangladesh batted a second time.

‘‘He’s usually pretty fired up when he gets out, it probably spurred him on to bowl so well,’’ said Nicholls, after Wagner took 3-44 from a dozen typically hostile overs.