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The West Indies vs New Zealand 1st ODI at the Providence Stadium in Guyana ended with a bit of controversy, as some cricket fans believed Casey Carty narrowly escaped being dismissed, and New Zealand missed a well-deserved wicket which could have changed the momentum of the match.
Well-prepared West Indies won the ODI against New Zealand by chasing the target of 268 runs. Casey Carty was the main man to lead the home team to a clinical victory.
Umpire’s controversial decision in West Indies vs New Zealand 1st ODI
In the middle stages of the run chase, the right-handed batsman was very close to losing his wicket as his bat hit the stumps and dislodged the bails. The umpire went up to check whether it was a hit wicket or not. After watching the incident several times on screen, third umpire Ahsan Raza rejected the hit wicket appeal.
Will the Kiwis have to work harder after this hit wicket was declared not out?! pic.twitter.com/XlTNEw5KPq
— The ACC (@TheACCnz) July 12, 2026
The incident, which at first seemed like a clear example of hit wicket, went viral on social media platforms. Was it hit wicket or was it the third umpire who took the right decision? The incident occurred on the second ball of the 35th over when Casey Carty dismissed New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy to the deep backward square leg region for a maximum run.
While the ball clearly cleared the rope, the batsman found that his bat had broken the bails with a light push. The bat came into action after coming in contact with the ball. At that time, Casey Carty was batting on 64 and West Indies’ score was 170/2 after 34 overs.
Casey Carty was the main man behind West Indies’ victory over New Zealand
West Indies won the match with 7 wickets and 7 balls remaining, with Carty returning after scoring 97 runs out of 112. If the TV umpire had indicated in favor of hit wicket, the scenario of the match could have been different.
Why did the umpire not give the signal of hit wicket even after the bails fell from the bat?
“35.1.1 The striker is considered out if the hit is made after the bowler has bowled the ball and while the ball is in play,” the MCC says in its rules to describe when a batsman will be declared out for hitting the stumps with the bat.
Why did the umpire say it was not out?
“While the ball is in play” is a must-read part of the rule. In the West Indies vs New Zealand ODI, the third umpire did not give consent for hit wicket because the ball was already out of play.
Casey Carty’s bat hit the stumps after the ball hit the ropes. After the match, at the presentation ceremony, neither the teams’ captains nor the batsmen who were named Player of the Match mentioned this instance, as it might have seemed controversial to some cricket fans who watched the match on screen, but not to the players who were on the field at the time.
