Umpiring howlers drive Aussies over the edge in abandoned one-day game against Sri Lanka..
Malcolm Conn News Limited Network January 20, 2013 9:37PM
TWO shocking decisions against Australia in a washed-out one-day game against Sri Lanka at the SCG has exposed the umpire decision review system as fundamentally flawed.
Another limp Australian batting performance was magnified when Dave Warner (60 in 73 balls) and Moises Henriques (3) were crucified as Australia struggled to 9/222 after Michael Clarke won the toss and batted.
Sri Lanka was 0-14 in reply when light rain stopped player and despite no rain for 45 minutes the match was abandoned at 9pm.
Australia only reached 200 for the first time in three one-day games thanks to another late flurry from paceman and developing all-rounder Mitchell Starc (52 not out from 37 balls) as inadequacies against the moving ball were highlighted once more.
While India opposes the DRS for all the wrong reasons, questioning technology that is more accurate than the human eye, the system fails to remove blatant mistakes from the game.
International Cricket Council studies have found that decision-making has improved from 92 percent to 96 percent with the DRS.
It was introduced to get rid of the howler however batting teams have just two unsuccessful challenges against umpiring decisions in Test matches and only one unsuccessful challenge in 50-over cricket.
Clarke (20) used that challenge after just 10 overs when given out lbw. He referred the decision only for Hawkeye to show the ball hitting the top of middle stump.
Clarke did not say whether he supported the current system.
Thats what weve got. Its the same for both teams, he said.
Davey got a big inside edge and Moises hit his as well, two big decisions I guess, but there have been plenty of times Ive seen it go our way as well.
Thats just part of the game. Youve just got to get on with it. Somebody else has got to step up and perform, make some runs.
Clarke was unsure whether the video umpire should be able to overrule the central umpire on such blatant mistakes.
Its a tough one because on every decision youre then waiting for the third umpire.
As long as its fair for both teams. Were all trying to be as consistent as we can, umpires, players.
None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes.
With his first one-day half century in nine innings Warner had done a wonderful job holding Australias flaky batting together.
Then on 60, with Australia delicately placed at 4-125 from 29 overs, Warner smashed a delivery from the medium pace of all-rounder Thisara Perera into the front pad off a thick inside edge.
Remarkably South African umpire Marais Erasmus gave the left-hander out, much to Warners obvious frustration.
Australia lost its next wicket in much the same way, collapsing to 6-130, when former Australian fast bowler Paul Reiffel gave Henriques out to a thick inside edge onto his pad from clever left arm spinner Rangana Herath.
Clearly Herath knew what had happened. There was a lovely close up shot of him winking at his teammates.
This could be career-threatening for Henriques, 26 next week, with Starc making a claim to be the all-rounder Australias misses with Shane Watson injured.
Starcs fine batting performance followed a top score of 22 not out in Brisbane when the first eight batsmen managed only single figures.
The simple solution to such dreadful decisions would appear to be the third umpire relaying to the central umpire via their radio hook-up that they had made a mistake.
A million people around the country and millions more around the world can see it is blatantly wrong.
So could the crowd in slow motion replay on the big screen at the SCG, prompting prolonged booing.
The problem in Australia at least is that when such an overrule system was tried in the state-based Ryobi Cup competition, the video umpires did such a poor job that the captains revolted and it was thrown out.
None of this excuses more poor batting from Australia against the moving ball.
Phil Hughes (1 in nine balls) made his third single-figure score opening the batting after his history-making debut one-day hundred in Melbourne.
5. There will be sugar coating post match.
need to push Starc up the order but knowing our selectors he'll probably get rotated in the most important game of the series
:lol:My predictions for this game,
1. We won't win
2. Mhuss won't play
3. Hughes will fail.
4. There will be no tsunamis around Coffs Harbour (see prediction 3)
5. There will be sugar coating post match.
@CricketAus 13-man squad for Hobart ODI: Clarke (C), Bailey, Cutting, Doherty, Henriques, Hughes, Hussey, Johnson, Maxwell, McKay, Starc, Wade, Warner
Boo f**king hoo.
David Warner was not given the chance to review his decision because the players are abusing the system. If the DRS had of been used correctly yesterday both Warner & Henriques's decisions would have been overturned.
The system is in place for absolute howlers and through misuse the privilege was removed from the Australias because they abused it. Clarkes dismissal was never a bad desicion and he did not have the right to question the umpires decision. Had he have just walked of the field and accepted the decision Warner and Henriques both would have had the chance to review.
Now i have to read about how flawed the system is and how bad the umpires were yesterday. Bad decisions happen. Its human error. Use the system the way it is intended and it works.
Lankans left angry over a wet finish..
Date January 21, 2013
SRI Lanka will complain to the match referee after Sunday night's farcical finish to the fourth one-dayer in Sydney that denied Mahela Jayawardene's team a golden opportunity to wrap up a rare series victory against Australia.
The Sri Lankans were left bemused at a world-class venue such as the SCG not being able to handle 90 minutes of steady drizzle that forced match officials to abandon play due to the state of the outfield.
''It's disappointing because at the SCG I would assume that a ground of this magnitude you should be able to get a game in. Maybe they should do what we do back home - cover the entire ground,'' Jayawardene said.
''I think we can probably write to the match referee [Javagal Srinath] because obviously the interpretation we got three months ago in the New Zealand series was different. It was deemed that we'd only stop play if it was dangerous.''
Curator Tom Parker said the water did not sink far enough into the ground due to the rain being too light, while the lack of wind delayed the drying process.
Of most concern to the umpires was the effect on the ball and the need for it to be replaced after every over.
''We played New Zealand three months ago and the interpretation that we got in that series was quite different to what we got today. We've played in Pallekele [in Sri Lanka] with a lot of rain and during the ICC World Cup as well,'' Jayawardene said.
''I think you need to find a bit more consistency, and that's something that we'll probably write and put it across to them.''
Australian captain Michael Clarke said his team wanted to get back on the field despite the delay enhancing Sri Lanka's chances of winning. ''I think this ground is known for its drainage. I've played a number of games here where it's held a lot more water than that and we've managed to get back on and play games of cricket,'' he said.
''Sri Lanka definitely would have loved to have gotten back on there. As the game got shorter, with 10 wickets in hand, it was probably going to suit them a lot more. But we certainly wanted to play as well to give ourselves a chance at winning the series.''
The controversial decision was good fortune for Australia as the Sri Lankans were set to benefit from any revision of the target through the Duckworth-Lewis system after the rain delay.
A win by Sri Lanka would have given its an unassailable 3-1 lead heading into the final match of the series in Hobart on Wednesday. Instead, Clarke's side now has the chance to square the series 2-2.
The bizarre conclusion to the game is more bad publicity for the 50-over format and will not have been well received by host broadcaster Channel Nine, which for the second time in three nights had hopes of a bumper night of ratings dashed.
The crowd of 22,521, many of whom revelled in the rain delay by building a beer snake the width of the Trumper Stand, jeered raucously as they left the venue after being told of the umpires' verdict.
The anti-climax capped a forgettable day for match officials, with umpiring howlers costing David Warner and Moises Henriques their wickets.
Each batsman was given out lbw by umpires Marais Erasmus and Paul Reiffel, respectively, despite having clearly hit the ball onto their pads.
They could not turn to the third umpire for a reprieve as captain Clarke had already wasted Australia's only video referral in an ambitious attempt to overturn an earlier lbw decision.
Replays showed the ball zeroing in on the top of Clarke's middle stump.
''I think if you or your partner feels like there is a fair bit of doubt in the decision, then have a crack at referring it,'' Clarke said.
''I got it wrong today. If I don't refer mine, then Davey can use it, and gets given not out, and Moises can use it and gets given not out as well.''
Boo f**king hoo.
David Warner was not given the chance to review his decision because the players are abusing the system. If the DRS had of been used correctly yesterday both Warner & Henriques's decisions would have been overturned.
The system is in place for absolute howlers and through misuse the privilege was removed from the Australias because they abused it. Clarkes dismissal was never a bad desicion and he did not have the right to question the umpires decision. Had he have just walked of the field and accepted the decision Warner and Henriques both would have had the chance to review.
Now i have to read about how flawed the system is and how bad the umpires were yesterday. Bad decisions happen. Its human error. Use the system the way it is intended and it works.