After Bangladesh Women set a target of 179 runs against the four-time champions England Women in the eighth game of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 at Guwahati, Bangladesh bowlers have put strong pressure on the experienced English batters with their consistent tight bowling performances. However, there were some big questions in the second innings, while the third umpire ruled out two dismissals of English opener Heather Knight due to inconclusive evidence, and both have created massive controversies in the cricket world.

Heather Knight got life from caught behind appeal

The first incident happened during the first ball of the third over. Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter once again shone with the new ball, who just took a wicket on the last ball of the previous over. In the first controversial incident, Bangladesh had a caught behind appeal against Heather Knight while the bowling end umpire raised her finger to give an out. Knight went for a review, where the third umpire checked lbw, as the ball clearly hit the pad first, and the impact was outside off to declare that not out as lbw.

Then the third umpire checked the caught behind. The ball was jammed between bat and pad, while the ball clearly hit the pad first, but there was no conclusive evidence that the ball hit the bat. Due to this reason, the third umpire requested the on-field umpire to change the decision to not out. While there was no conclusive evidence, many believe that the third umpire should go with the on-field decision, but the third umpire changed it due to inconclusive evidence of hitting the ball with the bat. 

See Also: From Throwing Javelins to Breaking Records: Tazmin Brits Surpasses Smriti Mandhana with Five ODI Centuries

Heather Knight got another life due to inconclusive evidence of fingers completely underneath the ball

The second incident happened during the 15th over, when England crossed 60 runs and lost two wickets. On the third ball of that over, Fahima Khatun delivered a flight, and Knight's chip shot to the cover was stunningly grabbed by Shorna Akter. While Bangladesh were celebrating, Knight was ultimately walking to the dressing room with a big disappointment for failing to utilise her luck. However, the on-field umpires decided to go for a review to check the catch. 

It was another close decision, as the ball was low during the catch. However, the third umpire claimed that, as there was no conclusive evidence of fingers completely underneath the ball, it was judged as a not out. Knight once again got a life as this time she was batting on 13 runs off 41 balls, and Bangladesh were clearly unhappy.  

What does the law say?

The ICC Women's ODI Playing Conditions (January 2024), 3.3.6 claims, "If despite the available technology, the third umpire is unable to decide with a high degree of confidence whether the original on-field decision should be changed, then he/she shall report that the replays are ‘inconclusive’, and that the on-field decision shall stand. The third umpire shall not give answers conveying likelihoods or probabilities."

Especially for the first overturn, the third umpire changed the decision by claiming inconclusive evidence of hitting the ball with the bat. Although the playing conditions say that if the replays are inconclusive, the on-field decision should stand, the third umpire called inconclusive regarding hitting the ball with the bat. In the second decision, the on-field umpires decided to go for the third umpire, while there was still a question about how it could be given not out if there wasn't any conclusive evidence of the ball hitting the ground during the catch.