Adelaide Strikers overseas player Adam Hose believes Marcus Stoinis was too slow to face the first delivery of his matchwinning knock and the 75-second timed out rule should have been enforced.
Stoinis blasted his way back to form on New Year's Eve, crunching 74 off 35 deliveries in the Melbourne Stars' eight-run win at Adelaide Oval. But according to Hose, Stoinis could have been sent packing first ball had the umpires upheld the Strikers' appeal.
The rule states that at the fall of a wicket, the incoming batter must be ready to face within 75 seconds. If the batter fails to arrive in time, they must stand to the side of the pitch for the first delivery of their innings and allow the bowler - in this case Wes Agar - a free ball at the stumps. If the ball strikes the wicket, the batter is out bowled.
"To be honest, I was at cover for his first ball and I'm pretty certain he timed out - 75 seconds, he wasn't ready," Hose said. "I just hope that if it is the rule then we can play by it. That's my only experience of the clock being run out.
"We asked the question, we appealed, but nothing happened. I'm pretty certain his time was up."
Eleven days earlier, against Sydney Thunder, Hose, the incoming batter, was still scratching his guard and gardening when batting partner Matt Short yelled "Hosie, face up" as the 75-second countdown almost expired.
"Umpires have been very hot on me the last couple of games getting to the crease," Hose said. "I've been warned about it a few times and had to change my first-ball routine.
"I guess that's why my frustration came in, because they've been very hot on me. I just hope, moving forward into the rest of the tournament, if it's going to be a rule then it has to be enforced."
Stoinis was aware of the ticking clock but rejected Hose's claim, insisting Adelaide's field was not set in time.
"I checked centre [guard], then I was standing off because I could see the field moving," he said. "I actually didn't know that I had to stand there regardless."
Stoinis was also critical of the Strikers' appeal for a timed out call against Hilton Cartwright in the 14th over.
"The same thing happened with Hilts," Stoinis said. "They [Strikers] appealed for that but the field was moving so it ended up being a dead ball. I wouldn't appeal [for that]. The rule is in place if someone is trying to take advantage and slow the game down."