Pat Cummins Discusses Controversial Incident Involving David Bedingham at WTC Final
Controversial Moment at Lord's
During the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 held at Lord's in London, Pat Cummins shared insights about an unusual incident involving South African batter David Bedingham. The controversy unfolded on Day 2 when Bedingham, facing Beau Webster, managed to get an inside edge that became stuck against his pads. In a moment of confusion, he instinctively used his hands to remove the ball just moments before Australia's wicketkeeper, Alex Carey, could collect it.
Umpires' Decision
The incident raised eyebrows among the Australian players, who questioned whether Bedingham's actions were in line with the spirit of the game. Umpires Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth convened briefly on the field to discuss the situation. Ultimately, they ruled the ball as 'dead'.
Cummins' Perspective
In a subsequent press conference, Cummins elaborated on the incident, stating,
“Yeah, well the umpires said it was dead ball first of all, but yeah I think we probably would have withdrawn, yeah.”His remarks indicated that the Australian team had no intention of continuing with an appeal after the umpires made their decision.
Bedingham's Reaction
Bedingham later recounted his experience, admitting that panic influenced his quick reaction. He mentioned,
“Yeah, I think I panicked big time. Because Carey was standing up, he was quite close. The umpires said, regardless, it was dead ball. But I think the way I picked up the ball and dropped it came across a bit dodgy.”According to the laws of cricket established by the MCC, a ball is deemed dead when it becomes lodged in a batter's equipment or person, which meant that the ball was out of play and any appeal from Australia was invalidated.
Match Progression
Bedingham was eventually dismissed for 45 runs off 111 deliveries, while South Africa's first innings concluded at 138 runs. However, the Proteas made a strong comeback with their bowling attack, leaving Australia at 144/8 by the end of the day. Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada were particularly impressive, taking 3 wickets each.