In a 1979 Test match, Australian batter Andrew Hilditch was given out after he picked up a stationary ball and handed it back to the bowler, who appealed. The umpire had to give him out, as the ball was not yet "dead," highlighting how a common act of sportsmanship could be used for a legal, albeit unsporting, dismissal. This rule was later subsumed into the "obstructing the field" law, but the Hilditch incident remains a classic example of how a literal application of the rules can lead to a bizarre outcome.
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