7-ball over from Adam Zampa takes the headlines in nail biting BBL encounter

The Big Bash League (BBL) is heating up and it was a last over finish on display when the Sydney Thunder played the Melbourne Stars. The match ended with Sydney Thunder batsman Eoin Morgan stealing the show and holding the nerves at the last moment. With an unbeaten 71 off 50 balls, Morgan helped Thunder eased past the target of 166/8 set by Melbourne Stars. However, more than the on field action, it was the 7 ball over that took all the limelight.

There was a lot of fuss about the over that was being called as the 7 ball over but in reality had just 6 legitimate deliveries. It all happened because of a late call by the on field umpire and the further miscommunication with the official scorers at the venue.

During the Sydney Thunder innings, it was in the 11th over when the action perspired. Leggie Adam Zampa bowled one down the leg side to batsman Ben Rohrer. Wicketkeeper Sam Harper collected the ball cleanly and appealed for it. Umpire gave it not out as he believed nothing had touched the ball. Meanwhile, commentator Ricky Ponting remarked that the ‘ball must have flicked the pad, since it has not been called a wide.’

However, the scorers and also commentators including Ponting had actually missed a late call by umpire Simon Fry. Fry took a long while before he signaled the ball as wide. He even received an acknowledgment with a white light on the scorecard. The official scorer of Network TEN, Lawrie Colliver, later confirmed on Twitter that they missed the late call.

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Meanwhile, in a conversation with Optus Sport after the match, umpire Simon Fry reflected back at the incident.

He quoted, “There was an appeal for a catch down the leg side. Obviously I didn’t give it out and it was a wide ball. We always signal to the scorers and the scorers indicate once they have seen out signal and we got that signal back. I am not sure where all the talk is about it being a 7 ball over to be perfectly honest. Seven balls were bowled, six of them were legitimate.”