Irving Romaine, the Bailey’s Bay coach, has defended bowler Coolidge Durham over his controversial run-out of Southampton Rangers batsman Vernon Eve during the Champion of Champions semi-final last weekend.

Eve was the non-striker when he was run out at the bowler’s end for leaving his crease before Durham began his delivery stride, a dismissal called Mankad after India bowler Vinoo Mankad used it to run out Australian Bill Brown in a Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1947.

The action was condemned in an editorial in yesterday’s Royal Gazette, which prompted some response as the debate continued.

One writer, calling himself Bermylad, replied: “I, as a cricketer, don’t like the Mankad law and think that it should be removed, but as long as it is in the rules how can players be considered wrong for playing within the laws.

“During a Mankad attempt, the only player not playing within the laws is the non-striker because he shouldn’t leave his crease early and there is nothing in the laws that says a bowler must warn the batsman before executing the run-out.”

Romaine, captain of Bermuda at the 2007 World Cup, pointed out that there is nothing illegal about the dismissal.

Umpire Craig Brangman spotted Eve out of his crease and upheld the appeal by Durham. It was the final wicket for Rangers, leaving them just four runs from victory at St John’s Field.

“In situations now, especially Twenty20 where every run counts, batsmen start to leave their crease early and cheat,” said Romaine, who watched the incident unfold.

“It’s unfair that the batsman can take off halfway down the wicket and have less of a distance to run, that’s why the rule is there.

“As long as it’s a legal law you really can’t get mad at somebody who does it in a situation where you need to win the game.

“It has happened before, happened internationally at the [2016] Under-19 World Cup, happened at the highest level of cricket.”

Ironically, the incident happened in the days leading up to new law changes by the MCC that will possibly be adopted locally next season.

One rule calls for a bowler who bowls a deliberate front-foot no-ball to be guilty of “unfair play”, which would prevent him from bowling again for the rest of the innings.

The Mankad dismissal was not addressed but remains the most controversial dismissal in cricket.

“Some bowlers do issue a warning and some go straight through, it’s been in the game for ever,” Romaine said.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t even know they called it Mankad, we used to call it the ‘Pickles Steede’, for the player [Dwayne Steede] who used to play for Rangers who used to do it every game. He was the one who made it fashionable.

“For a batsman that is a hard out and you get mad when it happens to you, but you shouldn’t be trying to steal a run.

“Over the last couple of years it’s become a popular way of getting out, so we tell our batsmen to stay in your crease.

“That’s the way modern cricket is, a lot has changed and I understand the purists don’t like seeing it. They also don’t like seeing shirts outside the pants, which is common in Twenty20 cricket. There are also things like black socks which the purists hate, but the game has evolved. It’s a sport that is losing interest in some countries because [Test cricket] is so long and boring.”

Added Romaine: “Coolie is one who hates anything unfair in cricket. The opposing team didn’t really fight it because players on their side have done it before.

“It’s just where the game is going. The purists hate it but for the kids playing today it’s just another ‘out’ for them. I’ve seen it done internationally, it’s a rule in cricket.”