England expressed frustration over a human error that allowed Alex Carey to escape a dismissal at the Adelaide Oval. Carey scored a vital 106 runs for Australia on day one of the third Ashes Test, finishing at 326-8, despite a clear edge behind the wickets at 72.
During the match, Australia’s wicket-keeper, Carey, seemed to have nicked a delivery from Josh Tongue to Jamie Smith when Australia was at 245-6. Despite England’s appeal, umpire Ahsan Raza ruled it not out, prompting Ben Stokes to request a review. The review showed a spike on the ‘Snicko’ technology, indicating contact with the bat slightly before the ball passed, leading the TV umpire, Chris Gaffaney, to uphold the on-field decision.
England was puzzled and upset by the decision, especially given a similar incident in the first Test where Jamie Smith was given out when the sound of contact came after the ball had passed. The error was attributed to the technology operator using the wrong stump mic audio, causing a mismatch between sound and visuals.
The controversy intensified as Carey, who has a history of contentious moments, admitted to hitting the ball in question. Despite the questionable call, Carey joked about his luck in the situation and denied being a “walker.” England’s bowling coach, David Saker, hinted at raising complaints with match referee Jeff Crowe regarding the inconsistent ‘Snicko’ technology alignment with TV images.
The incident sparked confusion among fans and commentators, with concerns raised about the reliability of ‘Snicko’ throughout the series. Former England captain Michael Vaughan highlighted the discrepancy between the spike on ‘Snicko’ and the actual contact, emphasizing the need for improved technology alignment for fair play.