CHEWING GUM ON THE WICKET Kept The Bails On, And The Star “Batsman” In!

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7011, 22 November 1932, Page 5

CHEWING GUM ON THE WICKET Kept The Bails On, And The Star “Batsman” In!

WOMEN’S TEAM PROTESTS TO VICTORIAN ASSOCIATION Claiming that the result of a recent match was affected by the placing of chewing gum on the bails by one of the umpires, Clifton Hill team has protested against Footscray’s win in the B grade women’s cricket competition (states the Melbourne “Herald”). The protest was lodged by Mrs Hawker, the captain of Clifton Hill, with the Victorian Women’s Cricket Association.

Mrs Hawker explained that Clifton Hill made 47 in its first innings and Footscray 70. Of Footscray’s 70 Miss V. Chick made 26.

Clifton Hill players claim that when Miss Chick had made three runs she would have been bowled had it not been for the chewing gum on the bails. They claim that the ball glanced on to the wickets off Miss Chick’s pads and shook them, but the hails remained on the wickets.

It is claimed that half-way through Miss Chick’s innings she was run out. The Clifton Hill wicketkeeper touched the wickets with the ball but was not able to dislodge the bails before the batswoman reached the crease. Mrs Hawker explained that the umpire obtained the chewing gum from the Clifton Hill point ficldswoman. When questioned afterward, the umpire said he placed the gum on the wickets to prevent the bails from blowing off, as they had done during the Clifton Hill innings. Mrs Hawker pointed out that had Miss Chick been given out for three, the match would have been a draw, for the player went on to make another 23, the difference between the total scores of the first innings. The second innings was not completed. If a special meeting is not called to deal with the protest, it will be considered at the next meeting of the council of the association on November 26. The letter of protest read: — “Clifton Hill wishes to protest against the match being given to Footscray on the ground that the umpire supplied by Footscray placed chewing-gum on the bails. His reason was that the wind was blowing the bails off. Clifton Hill batted first, when the wind was at its worst, but the, gum was not placed on the wicket until Footscray batted, when the wind had dropped considerably. “We maintain that an umpire has no right to interfere with the wicket, and that if he had a complaint to make about the bails he should have consulted the other umpire.”