The moment the ball came off the bat, Ezra Essex sprinted.

No looking back. No second guessing. A dead sprint as if his life depended on it as soon as he heard contact from Campbell Smith’s bat on a two-out run-and-hit.

This story is free with a quick signup

Sign up free for newsletters and full archive access — upgrade anytime for priority in-depth reporting, exclusive behind-the-news insights, subscriber-only commenting, and more.

Sign Up Free

Already a member? Sign in