In praise of extras

An editorial in the Guardian emphasises the importance of extras in keeping players on their guard on the field. The heavy penalties associated with lapses prompt greater discipline, and the runs earned by a team - and not the individual - by way of extras, is a reminder that the playing XI is greater than the sum of its parts.

Sundries – as some Australians still quaintly dub them – are not some optional add-on, but are integral to the sport. If wides went unpunished, bowlers would be free to protect their side's total by sending the ball out of the batsman's reach. Byes, meanwhile, keep wicketkeepers on their toes, and punish the field as a whole for allowing the ball to drift away from the action, which would be a dulling waste of time.