By Ian Ransom
Adelaide — England were fuming after Australia’s Alex Carey survived a caught-behind appeal on the first day of the third Ashes test on Wednesday when the review technology failed to pick up an apparent nick off the century-scorer’s bat.
The wicketkeeper, who ended up scoring 106 and celebrating his first Ashes hundred at his home Adelaide Oval, later admitted to feeling “a bit of a feather” off his bat when he wafted at a Josh Tongue delivery while on 72.
Carey stood his ground when the appeal was turned down, but England were convinced and went to the decision review system.
The “Snicko” technology picked up a sound, but it did not align with the ball’s flight by the bat in the review of the delivery, so the decision stood.
Carey went on to score another 34 runs to help Australia reach 326 for eight at stumps after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat first.
England bowling coach David Saker said England were ill-served by the technology — and not for the first time in the series.
“The boys are pretty confident he hit it. I think the calibration of the Snicko is out,” the Australian told reporters after England toiled through a sweltering day in the field.
“It was a pretty important decision. Those things hurt. You’d think in this day and age the technology’s good enough to pick things up like that.”
Saker said England had been unhappy with the technology throughout the series, without elaborating on specific instances, and might raise the matter with match officials.
“After today, that may go a bit further,” he said of complaints in the England camp. “It should be better than that. It is what it is.”
Carey was glad to soak up his third Test century in front of friends and family in the sell-out crowd at Adelaide Oval.
He said he might have reviewed the caught-behind decision himself had he been given out — but not with great confidence.
No walker
Owning up, though, was out of the question. “Well, Snicko obviously didn’t line up, didn’t it?” he told reporters.
“Clearly not,” he responded when asked whether he was a “walker”.
The contentious incident came two years after Carey was cast as the villain of the 2023 Ashes when he threw down Jonny Bairstow’s stumps in the second test at Lord’s.
The run-out was legal but triggered a “spirit of cricket” debate, and enraged England fans jeered Carey for the rest of the drawn series.
Wednesday’s escape may do little to boost his popularity in England, but in Adelaide Carey had the home crowd chanting his name, and he savoured a standing ovation when he reached 100.
“You’re not always going to be liked. Sometimes it depends which side of the fence you’re on,” said Carey. “There’s always heroes and villains.”
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