At the time of his being given out, Bangladesh had long since broken their huddle, and had taken their places in the field, with Shakib at the top of his mark, ready to bowl.
The time at the dismissal of the previous batter was 3:49pm local; the time of Mathews being given out was 3:54. This suggests the umpires had given him more than a minute’s grace before ruling him out. The 2023 World Cup playing conditions state a new batter needs to be ready to face their first ball within two minutes of arriving.
Mathews argued his case animatedly to the umpires, pointing repeatedly at his helmet strap, perhaps to suggest that it had only broken when he had reached the crease, and that a replacement was necessary. He was also seen having a discussion with Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib.
The umpires did not reverse their decision, and Mathews was forced to leave the field, and was visibly annoyed by the mode of dismissal.
His dismissal left Sri Lanka in significant trouble, at 135 for 5.
