Law 20.1 says “the ball becomes dead when it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or of the bowler”. So having settled in the wicketkeeper’s hands for him to pass to the slip fielder, the ball was dead. By contrast, Carey’s predetermined plan to stump Bairstow saw him immediately shy at the stumps when he gathered the ball.

Falkland said in a statement that they had written to Carlton to apologise for the controversy.

“The club would like to put on record a sincere apology for the unsavoury incident that occurred during our recent match v Carlton. Our players’ actions were not in keeping with the spirit of cricket, a game that prides itself on respect, fairness, and sportsmanship, which in that moment our players failed to uphold.

“We also acknowledge that we put the umpires in a very difficult position, for which we also apologise.

“Moving forward, we are committed to reflecting on this incident and ensuring that such behaviour is never repeated.”