A major controversy involving the Snickometer technology has marred the opening day of the third Ashes Test, with England considering a formal complaint after Australia's Alex Carey was given a crucial reprieve on his way to a match-shaping century.
The Controversial Reprieve
With Australia struggling at 245 for six, England fast bowler Josh Tongue produced a delivery that Carey appeared to edge behind to the wicketkeeper. The on-field umpire gave it not out, prompting England to review. The third umpire, Chris Gaffeney, examined the evidence, which included a clear spike on the Snicko audio waveform. However, Gaffeney chose not to overturn the decision because the spike appeared on the replay before the ball passed the bat, contradicting the usual sequence.
Carey, then on 72, survived and capitalised fully, going on to score 106 runs as Australia finished the day on 326 for eight. The wicketkeeper later admitted he felt a nick. "I thought there was a bit of a feather or some sort of noise when it passed the bat," Carey said. "If I was given out, I think I would have reviewed it."
Technology Firm Admits Operator Error
The company behind the technology, BBG Sports, took full responsibility for the mistake. In a statement, they concluded that the Snicko operator had selected the wrong stump microphone for audio processing. The error likely used the feed from the non-striker's end, creating the misleading timing issue that influenced the third umpire's decision.
This incident has highlighted ongoing concerns about the consistency of the Decision Review System (DRS) technology used in the series. The Real Time Snicko product employed by the host Australian broadcaster is considered by some to be inferior to the Ultra-Edge system used in England.
England's Reaction and Potential Complaint
England's camp was left deeply frustrated. Bowling coach David Saker revealed the team was "pretty confident he hit it" and indicated a complaint to match referee Jeff Crowe was likely. "I think the calibration of the Snicko is out quite a bit and that has probably been the case for the series," Saker stated. "At that stage it was a pretty important decision. Those things hurt... In this day and age you'd think the technology is good enough."
Saker emphasised that concerns had been present throughout the Ashes contest and that such a high-profile error was unacceptable. "We shouldn't be talking about this after a day's play, it should be better than that," he added.
The controversy casts a shadow over what was otherwise a compelling day of Test cricket and raises serious questions about the reliability of the mandatory technology upon which the World Test Championship depends.
