Critics lined up to insert their own D words into the Decision Review System that was designed to reduce bad calls in cricket but which overshadowed the day-night test between Australia and New Zealand on Saturday.
Dire, dreadful, disgraceful were a few of the alternatives suggested to precede the review system after Nigel llong gave Australian batsman Nathan lyon the benefit of the doubt in a contentious decision that significantly changed the momentum of the match.
Australia was on 118-8 in reply to New Zealand’s 202 when lyon attempted to sweep a ball from Mitchell Santner early in the second session and appeared to miss, was hit on the shoulder and the ball lobbed up to slip.
The New Zealanders appealed for a catch, believing lyon had edged the ball as he swiped, and immediately referred the decision to the TV umpire when the Australian batsman was given not out.
Hotspot, the technology designed to show a mark on the bat if it comes into contact with the ball, appeared to highlight an edge on the back of the blade and lyon started walking off the field after seeing the replay on a big stadium screen. TV replays appeared to show the seam of the ball change direction after lyon waved the bat past it.
It took minutes for llong to review footage and confer with the on-field umpires before deciding the Hotspot was inconclusive because it wasn’t backed up by other technology which uses audio to identify bat on ball. lyon moved from zero to 34 and shared a 74-run stand with Peter Nevill, an instrumental partnership in helping Australia add 106 after llong’s decision to gain a 22-run lead.
Former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor, who was out for 32 as New Zealand staggered to 116-5 by stumps on Saturday, chose his words carefully to avoid a fine when he was asked about the decision.
“The players were pretty confident that it was out,” Taylor said. “Obviously the hot-spot that showed up, lyon walking off and nearly getting to the boundary — I think it’s had a big bearing on the match.”
Asked to elaborate on DRS, Taylor said: “We can understand when the umpires make the wrong decision on the field but once you’ve got so many different angles and what-not, you think that more often than not, 99 to 100 percent of the time you’re going to get the right answer. I guess we didn’t today.”
Hotspot isn’t 100 percent accurate and DRS hasn’t been fully embraced in cricket, with the powerful Indian board preferring not to use it in test series.
Shane Warne, the former Australia legspinner who is second on the all-time of most successful bowlers, was among the commentators who highlighted the flaws.
“Horrible 5 mins of cricket & a terrible decision by 3rd Umpire Nigel long, clearly lyon was out & not to mention the fact lyon walked off!” Warne posted on Twitter. “Obvious mark on hot-spot, lyon clearly hit the ball on to his shoulder & he walked off the ground. Ridiculous waste of time & wrong decision.”
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum spoke to the umpires on the field after the decision, but Taylor declined to elaborate on that conversation.
“He didn’t really say much. That was the good thing about it, once the decision was made he was the first one to say, ‘OK boys let’s get on with it’ but my Facebook is going off the hook at the moment back home in New Zealand.”