Ben Stokes was a relieved man after he enjoyed an unusual reprieve on the opening day of the third Test against West Indies in St Lucia on Saturday. Ben Stokes was caught-and-bowled for 52 by Alzarri Joseph, who took a sharp return catch in the 70th over of England's innings.
Ben Stokes walked back to the pavilion and was removing his protective equipment when the third umpire declared that Joseph had indeed bowled a no-ball after reviewing the footage. The onfield umpire signalled a no-ball and also recalled Ben Stokes from the pavilion.
Jonny Bairstow had already joined Jos Buttler in the middle after Stokes's dismissal but walked off the field as Stokes returned to rousing cheers from the England camp and their fans.
"Thank God for technology. It's a first for me and it's probably something they need to get control of. In international cricket you shouldn't be walking off, getting into the changing rooms, and then back out there two minutes later," Stokes said at the end of first day's play.
"It's a good job I didn't take my pants off. It was just a bizarre bit of cricket all round. I tried to get myself back in that same frame of mind I was when me and Jos were going well out there. There was a lot of cheering going on so I had to blank that out and start again," he added.
Stokes benefitted from MCC's April 2017 decision to define Law 31.7. The law governs the status of a batsman "leaving the wicket under a misapprehension".
The rewritten law, which came into the effect in October 2017, has given the authority to the umpires that they can recall a batsman if they are satisfied that the player left the field under a "misapprehension of being out".
The Law states: "An umpire shall intervene if satisfied that a batsman, not having been given out, has left the wicket under a misapprehension of being out. The umpire intervening shall call and signal Dead ball to prevent any further action by the fielding side and shall recall the batsman.
"A batsman may be recalled at any time up to the instant when the ball comes into play for the next delivery, unless it is the final wicket of the innings, in which case it should be up to the instant when the umpires leave the field."
Stokes was unbeaten on 62 while Buttler was on 67 as England took the upper hand for the first time in the series.
Stokes and Buttler were involved in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 124 to help England reach 231 for four at stumps on Day 1 of the third Test.
England have already lost the series after defeats in the first two Tests of the three-match contest.
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