There was an incident at the game I was watching whereby the batter pulled away from being ready as the bowler was running in.

The bowler delivered the ball which went on to hit the wickets. There were a few puzzled looks but the umpires called dead ball. When asked what was the matter, the batter indicated towards the sight screen and I thought someone had been walking behind it but there hadn’t been. It all came down to a fielder who was walking back to his original position by walking in a sideways direction when the bowler was running up to bowl. The bowler was a little too quick in starting his run-up, as the batter didn’t know where the fielder would end up. This is classed as significant movement by a fielder, and dead ball is called by either umpire.

The batter on strike is entitled to know where the fielders are, therefore once the bowler begins his run-up, on which the batter will be concentrating on, it is unfair if a fielder moves to a significantly different position. The key word is ‘significantly’ and walking back or at a different angle is significant movement. A close-in fielder can make a minor adjustment to their stance, but should not move as the ball is being bowled as this could distract the striker. For other fielders, walking in a few paces towards the striker’s wicket is permitted and expected.

Boundary fielders are permitted to walk a few more paces than those in the infield, as long as their position is not significantly changed.

There is an exception when the movement is in anticipation of a shot the batter is playing or looks as if he/she is to play. Take the example of a batter playing a sweep shot. As the striker makes clear his /her intention to play the shot, a fielder in slips might run towards leg slip, which is allowed as long as it is a reaction to the batter’s movement. The wicketkeeper can do the same in anticipation of the shot, however he/she cannot, if standing back, run up while the bowler is in his run-up and end up in a stumping position. This is classed as significant movement and unfair, and ‘dead ball’ will be called by either umpire. He can take a couple of small paces to his normal position, as long as the umpires don’t class the movement as significant.