When the West Indies Women hosted Sri Lanka Women in the 2nd ODI at St George’s on February 22, 2026, fans expected a fiercely contested chase after Sri Lanka posted 208 runs in their innings. What no one quite anticipated was the dramatic twist that would unfold in the heart of the West Indies innings, a moment of cricketing controversy that has dominated social feeds and ‘West Indies cricket’ news worldwide: Deandra Dottin given out obstructing the field in a highly unusual dismissal that swung momentum back in Sri Lanka’s favour.
Dottin’s dismissal, now etched in the annals of rare cricket rules, occurred in the 30th over while West Indies were chasing the target of 209. With the home side needing 94 more to win, Dottin walked to the crease hoping to solidify the innings. But what followed was a moment of instinctive decision-making that went against her. Facing spinner Chamari Athapaththu, Dottin attempted a sweep shot on a ball that skidded down the leg side. The delivery was called a wide, but instead of staying alive, the ball deflected off the wicketkeeper’s pads back toward Dottin. In a split-second reaction, she tapped the ball away and then caught it in her hand, a move that left the Sri Lankan fielders immediately appealing for obstruction.
After consultation between on-field umpires Candace La Borde and Vrinda Rathi, and a referral to the third umpire, Dottin was adjudged out obstructing the field for 13 runs off 15 balls. That verdict not only stunned the crowd but also underlined one of cricket’s most seldom-seen laws, Law 37, which covers deliberate obstruction of fielders.
For West Indies Women, this dismissal proved costly. At 116 for 6, the Windies suddenly found themselves under immense pressure, their chase disrupted not by a brilliant delivery or a strategic bowling partnership, but by an unusual twist of cricket law. Before Dottin’s exit, the innings had shown signs of regaining composure through partnerships — Shemaine Campbelle and Stafanie Taylor shared a 44-run stand, and later promising lower-order resistance came through Jannillea Glasgow’s gritty 50 off 69 balls.
However, the psychological impact of losing a senior player in such a controversial manner cannot be understated. Dottin’s dismissal did not just subtract runs; it broke rhythm, hampered partnership momentum, and influenced how the batting team approached the next overs. Glasgow continued battling valiantly, forging a vital 45-run ninth-wicket partnership with Afy Fletcher, briefly keeping the West Indies in the hunt. Yet once Fletcher fell, the run rate and required chase pressure only grew higher.
From the Sri Lanka Women’s perspective, the incident acted as a turning point. Their bowlers and fielders had already set up a solid platform; Sugandika Kumari claimed three wickets, and Inoka Ranaweera also finished with three scalps, while Dewmi Vihanga chipped in with two. But Dottin’s dismissal undeniably tilted the balance in Sri Lanka’s favour at a critical juncture.
Cricket experts and fans have since weighed in on how such dismissals, though rare, highlight the complexities of cricket laws and the instinctive reactions of players under pressure. According to Law 37.1 of cricket’s rulebook, a batter is considered out “obstructing the field” if their actions willfully prevent fielders from making a play on the ball, a judgment call that rarely sees the light of day at the international level.
For Dottin, a powerful and experienced campaigner for West Indies Women’s cricket, being the centre of this unusual dismissal is a moment that will be dissected far beyond Grenada. Whether in discussions about cricket rules controversy or in the broader narrative of Women’s ODI cricket, this moment will remain a talking point. It becomes a reminder of how, in cricket, the unexpected can become the most pivotal chapter in a tightly contested series, and how a single moment, even an instinctive reaction, can shape match outcomes and cricket history alike.
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