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Lost ball  The Laws make provision for what happens if the ball is lost within the field of play during a match. This is undoubtedly a hangover from the days when cricket grounds were more rustic affairs, with most of the 'mowing' done by cattle or sheep and when patches of long grass were commonplace and boundaries as we know them now did not exist. Nevertheless there are occasional incidents, even these days, of the ball becoming lost or, usually and more accurately, 'difficult to retrieve' - balls disappearing down a field drain or into a sprinkler mechanism are favourite candidates! The "Lost ball" provision no longer applies since the 2017 Code of Laws rule changes were brought into effect on 1 October 2017 The umpires will call & signal "Dead ball" as soon as they are satisfied that the ball in play cannot be found or recovered (as per section 20.4.2.10). Any runs scored (plus applicable penalties) prior to the ball being lost would be added to the total | ||||||