Jamie Smith was at the centre of the latest controversy with Snicko technology during a tense day of Test cricket at the Adelaide Oval.
Smith looked to hook a short ball from Pat Cummins and seemingly missed the ball which flew through to Alex Carey behind the stumps.
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Carey, Cummins and co all appealed believing Smith to have made contact with the ball but the England batter was ready to review the umpire’s decision.
But, the umpire decided to send for a review to see if the ball had cleanly landed in Carey’s hands before making a decision on the field. As part of that process a replay of the incident was shown with Snicko showing a spike after the ball had passed Smith’s bat. At the same time there seemed to be a gap between the bat and ball but the third umpire ruled that Smith had hit the ball and was out.
England captain Ben Stokes, who was batting at the time, dropped his head in disbelief when the decision was shown on the big screen. Smith’s dismissal left England 159-6 and over 200 runs behind Australia’s first innings total of 371.
The controversy was just one of several incidents on day two in which the technology process was questioned. Earlier examples saw Smith glove the ball to Usman Khawaja at second slip and Joe Root get an inside edge through to Carey. In both instances the ball bounced before reaching the respective fielders.
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And just moments before Smith was dimissed, Australia were sure they had him caught off the glove on 16, but the Snicko verdict sided with the England batter, who indicated that the ball had hit only his helmet. There were also doubts over the slip catch, which looked close to hitting the ground, but that was not the reason for the not out verdict.
Pace bowler Mitchell Starc was heard on the stump microphone offering a withering assessment. “Snicko needs to be sacked. That’s the worst technology there is,” he said. “They make a mistake the other day and they make another mistake today.”
Marnus Labuschagne was also heard making light of the concussion check Smith was obliged to undergo, clearly doubting he had been struck on the helmet at all.
The umpires sent the decision over Jamie Smith’s wicket to the third umpire (Getty Images)
On Test Match Special, Alex Hartley labelled the controversies as ‘ridiculous’ and claimed that the Snicko technology needed ‘sacking’.
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She said: “It is going to boot off here. This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. This is where Snicko needs sacking.
“The third umpire said there is nothing obvious there as he could see a gap between the bat and ball. Jamie Smith is convinced he didn’t hit it. Australia have gone up and made a loud noise because everybody knows you don’t trust Snicko now, so you appeal for everything and review it if you have to.
“Ben Stokes has his hands on his hips. Smith has gone off shaking his head.”
Smith questions his dismissal after a disparity with Snicko (Getty Images)
Her view was echoed by former England players Greame Swann and Steven Finn on TNT Sports who both called out the inaccuracies in the technology and for it to be removed.
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“Without sounding like a whinging Pom, it’s one rule for one and one for another” said Swann, later adding: “It just doesn’t make sense. Cricket makes itself open to ridicule sometimes.”
The incident follows yesterday’s controversy over Alex Carey’s DRS review which resulted in him being given not out on 72 despite hitting the ball.
