England’s frustration grew when a mistake led to Alex Carey escaping a dismissal at the Adelaide Oval. Carey scored a vital 106 runs for Australia in the third Ashes Test, finishing the day at 326-8, but he should have been out at 72.
During the match, Carey seemed to edge a delivery from Josh Tongue to Jamie Smith when Australia was at 245-6. Despite England’s appeal, umpire Ahsan Raza ruled it not out, prompting Ben Stokes to request a review. The replay indicated a spike on the ‘Snicko’ technology, suggesting contact with the bat occurred slightly before the ball passed, leading TV umpire Chris Gaffaney to uphold the on-field decision.
England expressed confusion and anger over the incident, especially since a similar situation occurred in the first Test where Jamie Smith was given out. It was later revealed that the technology operator mistakenly used the wrong stump mic audio, causing a mismatch with the visuals.
BBG Sports took responsibility for the error, acknowledging that the wrong audio selection affected the decision. Alex Carey, who had previously been involved in controversial incidents, admitted to hitting the ball but remarked on the unusual sound timing during the replay.
England’s bowling coach hinted at potential complaints to match referee Jeff Crowe regarding the ‘Snicko’ discrepancies. The incident raised concerns among fans and commentators, with former England captain Michael Vaughan noting the unusual spike in the replay.
The ongoing debate about ‘Snicko’ alignment with TV footage may lead to further discussions and improvements in the future.