Any furore over Wendell White's cheeky, but legal, run out to clinch victory for Somerset over St. George's on Sunday is “a lot fuss about nothing”, according to coach Winston Reid.

Approaching the crease from the eastern end of the pitch, the lively bowler did not display a bowling action, but instead, whipped off St.George's' tail-ender Kameron Fox's bails to secure a slim two run win for his team at Wellington Oval.

White's cunning actions - rarely witnessed in the international arena and today considered unsportsmanlike - are said to have left St.George's' players, officials and fans alike up in arms.

That, despite the fact that what he did was perfectly legal according to rule 42.15 of Tom Smith's Cricket Umpires Code of Law almanac.

The talented all-rounder could not be reached for comment yesterday, however, Somerset coach Winston Reid said that his player's actions were “spontaneous” and “irresistible” given the fact that Fox reportedly kept leaving his ground whenever White approached the stumps to deliver.

“I don't no what all of the fuss is about,” said Reid yesterday.

“Whether a batsman is ten feet or an inch out of his crease the fact remains that he is out of his ground.

“I must say that it's not something that I would like to see on a weekly basis, but White had to make a spontaneous decision and in the end it was perfectly legal.”

Attempts to reach St.George's skipper Charlie Marshall proved unsuccessful yesterday, however, an official from neighbouring St.David's - who wished to remain anonymous - admitted that he thought that the deceptive practice was abolished from the game a long time ago.

“I thought that whenever someone tried to do that sort of thing the umpire called a no ball,” he said.

“You would never see anything like this in international cricket. I bet Wendell White never did anything like that back in his country (Barbados).”

In the past, former Southampton Rangers fast bowler Dwayne (Pickles) Steede was notorious for using this deceitful, but legal tactic - as too was former St.David's bowler Elliott Pitcher.

In modern times, most In modern times, most bowlers sportingly prefer to give the batsman a warning instead of resorting to such measures - Janeiro Tucker is one player who readily comes to mind, but during Sunday's fixture White apparently did not do this.

Meanwhile, Law 42.15 clearly states that the “bowler is permitted, before entering his delivery stride, to attempt to run out the non-striker. The ball shall not count in the over.

“The umpire shall call and signal dead ball as soon as possible if the bowler fails in the attempt to run out the non-striker.

Consequently, unless the non-striker remains within his ground until then, he risks being dismissed run out.”

Furthermore, the law book also states that a penalty of five runs can be incurred upon the batting team if the umpire deems the non-striker to be attempting to steal a run by leaving his crease as the bowler begins to run up.

“People are complaining about it, but nobody is looking at the issue that they (St.George's) were 114 for six chasing 128 for victory,” said umpire Stephen Douglas, who adjudged Fox out during Sunday's contest.

“Their leading batsmen should have still pulled it off. Don't blame the law book for losing the game.

“If those guys would have batted sensibly then it would have never got to that.

“They all just swung away at the ball.”