The Mankad debate hit the Big Bash in the most controversial way on Tuesday night and a Canberra star was caught in the middle of the drama.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a tense Melbourne derby, Stars skipper Adam Zampa attempted to runout Tom Rogers using the Mankad mode of dismissal at the MCG.
Bemused Weston Creek junior Rogers looked on in shock after being caught out of his crease on the second-last ball of the innings.
But the decision was referred to the third umpire, and Rogers was allowed to stay to complete the 20th over because Zampa's arm had gone past the vertical position.
The Mankad has become a hot topic over the past 12 months, with some international players threatening to use it to keep batsmen in their crease and the Indian women's team deciding to employ the tactic against England.
The mode of dismissal is viewed by many as being "against the spirit of cricket" despite being legal and written into the laws.
It has divided players and fans, and Zampa's attempt sparked fierce debate in the Big Bash.
Australian bowling great Brett Lee called for lawmakers to take the decision out of the bowlers' hands and instead deduct runs if the batsman is out of the crease before the ball is bowled.
"It was chilly downstairs," Lee said on Fox Sports commentary. "Chilly in the atmosphere after Zampa's Mankad.
" ... I saw the replay. I hate the whole Mankad thing, I reckon they should take it out of the hands of the players."
A fired-up Rogers had words with Zampa while finishing the inning, then bowled Joe Clarke with the second ball of the Stars' innings.
"Definitely [I was fired up], I like to embrace the rivalry with Renegades have with the Stars.
"There was a bit of spice towards the back end of the innings. It was probably a different way to how I'd go about things. So I was excited to get out there with the ball.
"... Nothing too much was said. When it came up not out I was pretty stoked. Because it's been a bit of the flavour of the month I was actually trying to stay in my crease as long as I could.
"I didn't think I'd left too early. The umpires did a great job, leave it up to them."
Renegades wicketkeeper Sam Harper said: "I missed it and didn't know what happened, but [Rogers] came in fuming. He's bowling 140km/h seeds ... he should get Mankad more often."
Rogers took another two wickets in his second over, and finished with 5-16 off his four overs. Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin leapt to his defence after the earlier Mankad debacle.
"Rogers actually wasn't backing up that far," Haddin said.
"When you go past the vertical, that's when you're allowed to go.
"[Rogers] saw the funny side [at first]. I think Zampa was peeved the ball before when they ran two to long on. I think he thought Rogers was leaving the crease too quick.
"But the replay shows he didn't. I don't like the look [of the Mankad]. Adam Zampa wanted to make a statement, but Rogers was within the rules."
It's the second time in a week the Big Bash has sparked wild debate after Michael Neser's catch while fielding for the Brisbane Heat.
Neser caught the ball in the field of play but, sensing he was about to step over the boundary, tossed the ball into the air.
He was outside the field of play when he jumped into the air to ensure both feet were off the ground, caught the ball and then tossed it straight up again so he could run and catch it in the field of play.
MORE CRICKET
Under the laws of cricket, it was ruled out because Neser initially caught the ball in the field of play and didn't touch the ground and the ball at the same time while on the other side of the boundary.
But the Mankad evokes a different kind of emotion among cricket players and cricket watchers because of the nature of the dismissal.
It has long been frowned upon and bowlers have been reluctant to attempt it for fear of backlash. Over the past 12 months, it has become more accepted, with pressure being put on batters to stay in their crease.
WHAT IS A MANKAD?
Few topics elicit as much passionate debate in the cricket world as the Mankad.
Whether you're for it, or against it, not many people sit on the fence when it comes to the controversial mode of dismissal.
For the uninitiated, the Mankad occurs when the bowler runs out the batter at the non-striker's end because they have left their crease before the ball has been bowled. It is named after former Indian cricketer Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australian batter Bill Brown at the non-striker's end during a Test match in 1947.
Mankad's actions drew instant criticism from the Australian media and the act has since been viewed as against the spirit of cricket.
This is despite the act of running out a bowler at the non-striker's end falling within the rules for more than a century.
Those rules have steadily been watered down in recent years, triggering an increase in the number of instances bowlers have attempted to utilise the tactic.
From October, the Mankad's place in the laws of cricket was shifted to fall under the run out, rather than unfair play, further legitimising the mode of dismissal.
MORE CANBERRA SPORT:
There have been a number of high profile examples in recent years, Jos Buttler falling victim to the ploy in the Indian Premier League in 2019.
More recently, England's Charlie Dean was dismissed by Indian bowler Deepti Sharma in a women's one-day international at Lord's.
Despite this, it remains a controversial topic among players and fans.
WHAT DO CANBERRA CRICKETERS THINK?
"It's outside the spirit of the game," Weston Creek Molonglo captain John Rogers said. John Rogers is the older brother of Tom Rogers. "If you're not good enough to get them out by actually bowling, you don't deserve to get them out.
"Every now and then you'll cop a howler or get a lucky one. It all balances out, there's no need to try and push the envelope."
The rise in the Mankad at the elite level has triggered a similar growth in park cricket.
It's a situation that has officials across the country increasingly concerned. Given the fierce nature of the debate and the heated nature of grade cricket, there is genuine risk of the act sparking a physical confrontation.
A number of videos have already gone viral this summer, with one in particular sparking a war of words between the two teams.
While there is potential for controversy, ANU captain Nick Groenewegen is confident Canberra's cricketers will continue to play within the spirit of the game.
"It's happening more and more at all levels but with the personalities around Canberra cricket, I can't imagine it becoming something big here," Groenewegen said.
According to many ACT cricketers, the last known incidence of a Mankad in first grade occurred during a Twenty20 clash between ANU and Eastlake on January 5, 2019.
It's a day Owen Chivers remembers vividly, having fallen victim to the mode of dismissal in the final over of the game.
With the scores tied, bowler Hayden Page whipped off the bails and Chivers was sent back to the pavilion for a duck without facing a ball.
Remarkably, it was the second time Chivers had been dismissed via Mankad in his cricketing career.
"I was surprised when it happened," Chivers said. "I had only ever been Mankadded once before and that was when I was 13 playing rep cricket in Crookwell.
"Hayden bowled a wide the next ball so it was probably a bit of justice there."
While the incident could have become a flashpoint, it quickly turned into a memorable moment. Chivers is known around the competition as the guy who fell victim to the Mankad.
His old teammates at ANU laugh about it, the Eastlake players often bring it up and even his new club Ginninderra like to remind him about the moment.
Views around the region are slowly starting to shift. Some now pin the blame on the batsman for leaving their crease rather than a bowler for committing an act within the rules of the game.
"I like the idea of warning a player before claiming a dismissal," Wests captain Scott Murn said. "Everyone is pretty aware now that you need to stay in your crease until the ball would have been delivered.
"Anyone who's been given a warning and still gets out Mankad had a chance to learn. In saying that, it's not something I'd want to do. I'd rather get guys out the conventional way."
Tuggeranong Valley skipper Craig Devoy takes that view even further.
Having come from an indoor cricket background, where the move is accepted, but comes with caveats for bowlers unsuccessfully attempting to utilise it, Devoy learnt long ago to remain in his crease before the ball had been bowled.
That should be no different when the game is played outside, he feels.
"Considering I play a lot of indoor cricket, I'm a massive advocate for it," Devoy said.
"It's in the rules and the game's fair as long as you play within the rules. The batter's clearly taking an advantage, why can't you use the rules to your advantage?"
As the public perception of the Mankad shifts, sympathy for batsmen is starting to wane.
Whereas it was never considered okay, many now feel a batter has little to complain about if they receive a warning earlier in the innings.
Already there is a view cricket is weighted too heavily to the batters and the Mankad allows that power balance to return slightly to the bowlers. This is particularly clear in Twenty20 cricket, where every ball and every run is crucial.
So much have things changed that even those who have fallen victim to the ploy now view it as a legitimate means of dismissal.
"My views over time have definitely changed," Chivers said. "I'm all for it now.
"If the batsman's out of the crease, run them out."