ILT20 2023: Raymond Reifer forgets to ground his bat; gets adjudged out by cousin

A run out is the most unfortunate way for any batter to lose their wicket and it is really frustrating when the person is well-set at the crease. However, there have also been several instances of the batters committing schoolboy errors and needless ending their stay in the middle short like being casual when it comes to grounding their bats on time and only realising their mistakes after the bails are dislodged.

One such incident took place during the ongoing International League (ILT20) encounter between the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and the MI Emirates at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, January 21. 

The player who ended up losing his wicket in a hilarious manner was the Knight Riders batter Raymond Reifer. Reifer struggled to time the ball during his stay at the crease and scored just three runs off nine deliveries before setting off for a double instantly after working a delivery towards the leg side boundary which was collected by the fielder Muhammad Waseem and instantly threw it at the wicket-keepers’ end.

However, what really stood out here was that even though Raymond Reifer was committed to take the second run he was seen slowing down a bit while running to the strikers’ end to complete the run and in the process was very casual when it came to grounding his bat.

Unfortunately for the batter, he neither had one of his legs inside the crease nor did he show any presence of mind by at least grounding the bat over the line as an alert Nicholas Pooran smartly dislodged the bails immediately after collecting the ball.

Replays showed that his bat was in the air when the bails were dislodged and the decision was made against the batter. While a disgruntled Raymond Reifer walked back to the dugout on an unsavoury note, there was one more forgettable thing regarding the decision. The final decision was made by his cousin Leslie who happened to be the TV umpire and it summed up the batter’s forgettable day.

Watch this awkward dismissal here:

Oh dear… 🫣#ILT20
pic.twitter.com/mjE3X2OBWv

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) January 21, 2023