Watch: An ingenious piece of wicketkeeping, named ‘The Switch’, from former New Zealand gloveman Peter McGlashan has resurfaced on Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match awards, player interviews, analysis and much more.

The clip, from a domestic T20 match in New Zealand, showed the wicketkeeper sprinting up the side of the pitch after the ball had been hit to long-off to gather the ball by the stumps at the non-striker’s end and complete the run out as the batting pair attempted a second run.

The theory behind the move is that it’s that end, with a shorter throwing distance, where a run out is more likely to come, and McGlashan’s presence makes the chance of a costly fumble, such as the Nathan Lyon error that arguably cost Australia their place in the World Test Championship final, less likely.

In a short thread on Twitter, he explained how the ploy would work, with him shouting ‘Switch’ to signal his intent to charge up the other end, and revealed how, in this instance, the move didn’t actually go as planned. Ideally, according to McGlashan, the bowler is supposed to run up to the keeper’s end, in the off-chance that turns out to be the end with the possibility of a run out.

McGlashan also detailed another innovation he implemented, wearing body armour and a full face mask when keeping, allowing him to stay tall and attempt to “charge down” any ramp or scoop shots played.

While not too many keepers might be willing to throw themselves into the line of fire just to prevent four, the thought of adding a dismissal in the scorebook is one which might tempt them to try ‘The Switch’.

Watch ‘The Switch’ in action below: