After a series of contentious calls have dominated the Ashes series, it was only fitting for Snicko to once again provide a key talking point on the final day of the Test summer.
After a muted caught behind appeal against Jake Weatherald off Brydon Carse, Ben Stokes – who was convinced there was an edge – decided to call for a review.
England players and fans began to celebrate when Snicko showed a faint murmur when ball passed bat, but the joy was short-lived, with third umpire Kumar Dharmasena deciding there was insufficient evidence to overturn the on-field not out call.
A furious Carse began to make his displeasure known to umpire Ahsan Raza, before being ushered away by Stokes, who continued the debate.
“What is going on?” Stokes was heard asking Raza.
“There’s a spike on the technology that we’ve used … where’s the consistency gone?”
Snicko has proved controversial throughout the summer, with the much-maligned technology making a series of dubious calls against England, most famously when an edge behind from Alex Carey in the third Test in Adelaide was given not out when a spike was detected before the ball had passed the bat.
On Fox Cricket, former England captain Michael Vaughan shared Stokes and Carse’s disbelief.
“I don’t understand what the third umpire was up to. There was a murmur,” Vaughan said.
“That was out … at the point of the ball going past the bottom edge of the bat, there was a murmur. You’ve got to give it out!”
“I can understand the frustration there from Ben Stokes,” former great Ricky Ponting said on Channel 7.
“I’m not sure there has been a lot of consistency with that technology used through the series.”
The decision prompted another round of ‘Same old Aussies’, always cheating’ from the Barmy Army, while a frustrated Carse had a heated mid-pitch exchange with Weatherald after the Australian opener played and missed next ball, with teammate Harry Brook also weighing in.
Former England bowler Stuart Broad was adamant, though, that it wasn’t Weatherald’s fault – though he was scathing about the decision.
“I can’t see any reason why this has been given not out,” he said on Channel 7.
“The England players are not understanding this. They’ve been on the back end of a few rough decisions throughout this series, with the technology letting them down.
“I don’t really understand why the frustration is there with Jake Weatherald. He’s not going to just wander off and give his Test career away.”
‘Horrible all round’: Bizarre ump review blunder gifts Head runs
Travis Head has profited from a bizarre review early in Australia’s run chase – that England shouldn’t have been allowed to take.
Head was on 1 in the first over of the Australian innings, chasing 160 to win, when bowler Brydon Carse led a loud appeal for LBW, after the opener jammed down on an attempted yorker, with the ball squirting through the slips cordon for four.
However, umpire Ahsan Raza’s signal of leg byes convinced England captain Ben Stokes to go upstairs, in violation of rules stating the umpire shouldn’t signal until a team has decided whether or not to use the DRS, due to its potential to influence the call to review.
“If he’s giving it leg byes he’s actually not allowed to do that,” Ricky Ponting said on Channel 7.
“And for that reason Stokes is now having a look.”
“The umpire is meant to wait until after the timer has ticked down, before he gives an indication to the players on the field as to what his judgement is as to whether it hit pad or not,” commentator Alison Mitchell added.
With Head audibly complaining over the stump mic, the DRS was nevertheless invoked, only to reveal that the ball had come straight off Head’s bat and not even touched his pads.
It meant the South Australian actually benefitted from the review, adding four extra runs to his total – and seeing Carse concede four extra off his over.
“That’s horrible all around,” Mitchell said.
“Because that’s a signalled leg-bye; England on that basis went for a review. They’ve now lost a review and he has had to change his decision to runs off the bat.”
“As far as I’m concerned England should get that review back – it was not carried out correctly,” Ponting added.
Great shares ‘wonderful’ Damien Martyn update
Adam Gilchrist has revealed Damien Martyn has been discharged from hospital, weeks after fighting for his life with a bout of meningitis.
The former great was placed in an induced coma over the Christmas period after falling ill, but regained consciousness a few days ago, and has returned home.
“He’s home, he’s out of hospital and has made an amazing recovery,” Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.
“He still has a bit of a journey to go and has a bit to work through but fortunately, he’s been allowed to go home and complete that recovery.
“He just wanted to pass on to the cricketing world – thank you so much for the love, care and support and interest in his wellbeing.
“That is wonderful news. Not that long ago he was in an induced coma but now he’s at home and recovering.”
Fellow former great Mark Waugh said given the initial concerns over his health, Martyn’s recovery is ‘almost a miracle’.
The 54-year old played 67 Tests for Australia, scoring 4406 runs at an average of 46.37 with 13 centuries.
Regarded as one of the most stylish players in cricket history, the Western Australian is close friends with several legends of the game forming part of broadcast teams for Channel 7 and Fox Cricket, including Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting.