England expressed frustration over a mistake that allowed Alex Carey to evade dismissal for an edge at the Adelaide Oval. Carey scored a vital 106 runs as Australia ended day one of the third Ashes Test at 326-8, despite a missed opportunity when he should have been out at 72.
The incident occurred when Carey seemed to edge a delivery from Josh Tongue to Jamie Smith while Australia was at 245-6. England appealed the decision, but umpire Ahsan Raza ruled it not out, leading Ben Stokes to request a review. The replay indicated a spike on the ‘Snicko’ technology, suggesting contact with the bat, but the spike appeared before the ball passed the bat, upholding the on-field decision by TV umpire Chris Gaffaney.
England was puzzled and upset by the ruling, particularly as a similar situation occurred in the first Test at Perth when Jamie Smith was given out despite a delay in the spike following the ball passing the bat. The error was attributed to the technology operator mistakenly using the stump mic audio from the bowlers’ end, causing a discrepancy between the audio and visual evidence.
Following the match, Carey acknowledged the contact with the ball, further adding to the controversy. England’s bowling coach, David Saker, hinted that the team might raise concerns with match referee Jeff Crowe regarding the ‘Snicko’ technology’s inconsistencies throughout the series.
The incident sparked confusion among fans and commentators, with former England captain Michael Vaughan highlighting the discrepancy between the audio spike and the bat-ball interaction. The ongoing debate surrounding the ‘Snicko’ technology’s reliability has prompted discussions on potential improvements to ensure fair play in future matches.