Shoaib Bashir escapes dismissal thanks to a 'towel' as Kyle Abbott bowls unusual dead ball in County Championship

During a 2024 County Championship match between Somerset and Hampshire, England's Shoaib Bashir had a lucky escape thanks to a bizarre incident involving Kyle Abbott's towel. In a rare dead-ball situation on September 26, Abbott bowled a nip-backer from over the wicket that breached Bashir's defence and hit the stumps. However, the on-field umpire ruled it not out as a towel fell off from Abbott's track pant at the non-striker's end, causing a distraction. This unexpected turn of events saved Bashir from being clean-bowled and gave him a second chance to continue his innings.

The umpire observed the distraction, and it was declared a dead ball and Bashir survived.

The commentators confirmed the same when the incident unfolded as they said, “His towel has fallen out of his back pocket, which means it’s a no-ball. And would you believe it? Kyle Abbott would’ve been on a hattrick.”

Law 20.4.2.6 enables umpires to call a dead ball when “the striker is distracted by any noise or movement or in any other way while preparing to receive, or receiving a delivery.”

The official account of County Championship has also shared the clip of the bizarre incident on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Kyle Abbott nearly had two wickets in two balls... But a towel fell out of Abbott's back pocket in his delivery stride, and it was deemed a dead ball,” the post read.

Meanwhile, Bashir failed to take advantage of it and was dismissed soon by Abbott, only this time via LBW on the penultimate delivery of the 54th delivery. He was dismissed for a three-ball duck. Abbott claimed four wickets in the innings and dismantled Somerset's batting line-up alongside Liam Dawson, who also picked four.

Somerset managed to post a mere 136 runs on Day 1, while Hampshire replied by registering 196 runs on the scoreboard. They managed to take a 60-run lead after the first innings. Toby Albert was the highest-run getter for Hampshire with a 77-run knock, while Jack Leach claimed a fifer for Somerset.