In a captivating turn of events during the 16th match of the ongoing Sheffield Shield season, South Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk was recalled by Victoria skipper Will Sutherland after being adjudged out by the umpire in a controversial decision. Fraser-McGurk, batting on 10, was given out caught behind in the 30th over.

However, the replays showed that the ball had deflected off the hands of wicketkeeper Sam Harper before being caught by Peter Handscomb at first slip. Despite initial reluctance from the Victoria players, Sutherland, in a display of sportsmanship, recalled Fraser-McGurk to the crease.

This act of fairness proved pivotal for South Australia as Fraser-McGurk went on to score a crucial century (101 off 106 balls), helping his team post a respectable total of 252 all out in the first innings.

Reflecting on the incident, Fraser-McGurk expressed his initial disbelief at the umpire’s decision but acknowledged that the recall was the correct call.

“I missed it by probably three feet; it spun a fair bit, and I think it came off Sam Harper’s glove before Peter Handscomb caught it. Sometimes they (the opposition teams) are just like, ‘yay’… and it could have been not a serious appeal, but then the umpire’s starting to nod his head, and I was a bit in disbelief,” Fraser-McGurk stated to Wisden.

“So I started walking off, then seconds later he (umpire Michael Graham-Smith) changed his decision, and the Vic boys weren’t too happy with that because they thought they had made a few unlucky decisions. But that’s the game, and in the end, it was the right umpiring call, and that’s what you want,” he added.

Fraser-McGurk’s century and the sporting gesture from Sutherland marked one of the most memorable moments of the Sheffield Shield season so far. It highlighted the spirit of the game and the importance of fair play in cricket.