Janeiro Tucker, the Bermuda all-rounder, has defended his controversial dismissal of Jersey batsman Will Harris at the World Cricket League Division Four tournament in Los Angeles this week.

The former captain “Mankaded” Harris, batting at No 4, in his bowling stride after the Jersey batsman stepped out of his crease in the wake of previous warnings from the Bermuda bowlers.

Some of the Jersey players voiced their displeasure with an incident that soured Bermuda’s 85-run victory at Wright Cricket Field in Woodley Park on Wednesday and then took to social media.

However, Tucker said he felt his actions were justified, claiming that team-mates Kamau Leverock and OJ Pitcher came in for the same treatment from the Jersey bowlers during Bermuda’s innings.

“When we were batting they tried to run out Kamau and OJ several times before they reached their milestones,” Tucker said. “Now Jersey want to say it was controversial when they started it.

“They were cheating and leaving before, and Delray [Rawlins] warned them a few times. I’d had enough and so when I was bowling, I ran him out. They started it, so I finished it.”

“Mankading” is the act of a bowler running out the batsman at the non-striker’s end as the batsman is backing up rather than actually bowling the ball.

Although a legitimate dismissal, it is not considered good sportsmanship or in the spirit of the game. Under Law 42.15, it remains entirely legal for a bowler to run out a non-striker who has strayed outside his crease after he has started his run-up, but before he has entered his delivery stride.

Appendix D of the 2000 Code defines “delivery stride” as the stride during which the delivery swing is made; it starts when the bowler’s back foot lands for that stride and ends when the front foot lands in the same stride.

Therefore, in all matches played under the Laws of Cricket with no augmented playing conditions, the bowler may run out the non-striker at any point after he has begun his run-up, and provided he does so before entering his delivery stride.

No warning is either necessary or required and the batsman has no course to appeal. The umpire must immediately and without question uphold the letter of the law as it stands and give the batsman out run out.