Not that they are in need of them yet. Let's not beat about the bush here, the Aussies got hosed yesterday. It was one of the worst umpiring days seen in recent times, a wicket off a no ball, a phantom edge given out and a catch that didn't carry. The last one was the most disappointing. I only saw two replays and I utterly fail to see how Strauss could claim it, the umpire in the middle could think it carried and if it went to the third umpire, how he could possibly have supported the decision made in the middle. I've thought for a number of years that there seems to be a conspiracy amongst the commentators, all ex-players, about whether catches have carried and the assertion that the player doesn't know if it's carried. I think this is complete bullshit. I caught a few and I knew every time if it carried or if it didn't, you can feel the angle it comes into your hand, is it still going down or going up, if it's going up into the heel of your hand and you haven't had at least three fingers crushed getting under the ball, it's not a catch, if you take enough catches there may be the odd one where you are not sure, in these circumstances the answer is not out. It really is that simple. Don't go looking to blocky, pixelated images to bail you out and commentators should stop vindicating these cheats by suggesting that they may have thought it was a good catch when they know that it wouldn't have felt right going into the hand.
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- http://arctictern.blog.co.uk
- Wednesday, 22. Jul, 2009 @ 00:48:46
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- Wednesday, 22. Jul, 2009 @ 11:49:51
Everybody knows Ponting's persona on the field, he'll take everything he can get and he doesn't make much effort to hide it but I thought Strauss wanted to appear somewhat different, it would seem that he doesn't which I think is a shame and I tip my metaphorical cap to Mike Hussey, as I have in the past to Adam Gilchrist, for playing the game the right way; he was sawn off by the ump and went on his way, no glaring, no head shaking and no muttering. Ultimately much of this goes away if the umpiring is right.
arctictern
I'm caught between two sticks here. Many of my mates are Aussies but what the hell, a win is a win. Ponting would have claimed his "catch" if the umpire had given it, so it's swings and roundabouts.