Bizarre ‘Hit Wicket’ Dismissal in Caribbean Premier League

Cricket allows a batsman to be dismissed in ten recognised ways, with bowled, caught, run out, and LBW being the most common. The hit wicket dismissal is relatively rare, and a particularly unusual instance was witnessed in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

West Indies veteran Shai Hope was dismissed hit wicket off a wide delivery. Playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors against Trinbago Knight Riders, Hope scored 39 runs off 29 balls before the bizarre dismissal occurred in the 15th over of Guyana’s innings at Brian Lara Stadium, Trinidad.

Delivery Details:

• Medium pacer Terence Hinds attempted a slow bouncer outside off-stump, but the ball went awry.
• The delivery travelled well outside the wide line.
• Hope advanced to play a reverse ramp shot, attempting to reach the ball.

Despite his efforts, the ball did not reach him. In chasing the wide delivery, Hope overextended his bat, which then struck the stumps, resulting in the hit wicket dismissal.

Key Factors:

As Hope walked back, the umpire signalled a wide with both arms extended. This dismissal marked Hope’s 170th hit wicket in T20 cricket, including 40 in international T20s. In the CPL, he became only the fourth batsman to be dismissed hit wicket.

When Hope departed, Guyana were struggling. His dismissal triggered a troublesome three-over period:

• After 17 overs, Guyana were 117/7.
• Late innings contributions from Dwaine Pretorius (21 off 16 balls) and Quintin Samson (25 off 19 balls) helped, with 46 runs scored in the last three overs.

Despite a total of 163, Guyana struggled to mount a competitive chase.

• Trinbago won by 6 wickets, chasing the target with 16 balls remaining.
• Opening partnerships led the team to victory:
  • Keron Alex Hales: 74 runs off 43 balls
  • Colin Munro: 52 runs off 30 balls
• Andre Russell finished unbeaten with 27 runs off 14 balls, securing the win.

This rare hit wicket off a wide is a testament to the unpredictability and occasional absurdity of cricket, especially in the fast-paced T20 format. Shai Hope’s misfortune will be remembered as one of the more unusual dismissals in CPL history.