"Shall we have a look at the TV replay, Umps"

From the Beeb:

Sri Lanka batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan created history on Thursday when he became the first player to successfully appeal against an umpiring decision.

Dilshan was given out by Mark Benson, adjudged caught behind off a Zaheer Khan delivery on the second day of the first Test against India in Colombo.

But he made a 'T' signal with his hands to challenge and third umpire Rudi Koertzen ruled he was not out.

Earlier, India's Anil Kumble became the first man to challenge a decision.

The Indian skipper asked for a television review by the third umpire after appeals for a Malinda Warnapura lbw off the bowling of Harbhajan Singh were turned down.

But their appeal proved fruitless when Koertzen agreed that the ball would be missing leg stump.

T'will change the game dramatically methunkens. Gone are the days where a batsman will be wronged but is it a good thing? Gotta be ain't it?

Coxless fours..

Part of me likes the controversy that not using available technology creates. But I'm all for the haven't-I-seen-this-three-challenges-malarkey-at-Wimbledon to be used in all tests.

Hawkeye, hot-spot, snick-o-meter and all the other comedy named computer assistance are not allowed to be used, quite rightly.

Will it stop the Aussies appealing for everything? If it does, then it's worth bringing in.

Am I right in thinking a team has only got three requests for the third umpire to act per innings or is it per match?

A kind of three strikes and you're in/out if you like..



Confused,
Jersey..

The Shrieking Lancans are the most appealing team, DK- or the least depending on your politics, I suppose.

I think it takes away the very essence of the game of cricket and is just pandering to the televisual moguls. It is not for no reason that the term "It's just not cricket" has long been used to indicate someone employing underhand tactics that would not be allowed in cricket. Cricket has been played for centuries with fair play being at the core of the game, and even if a player or team suffers an injustice, in cricket you accept it and get on with the game with no fuss and a handshake at the end, win or lose. Well, that is at least how it should be. But alas, the tv money men will win.

Yes, but there's money in the sport now, so players cheat. When players cheat, those who officiate need help. The technology has improved in leaps and bounds in recent years, so why shouldn't it be made available to get better decisions?

I can't think the dissenters would go into hospital for an operation and ask to be treated as patients were 100 years ago.

Mind you, it'd thin the philistines out a bit.

I've already lost a couple of pounds mate.

Now, I'm a very old-fashioned kinda guy (SHUT IT) at heart, but I've been won over by 'referrals', in Rugby for ages and now Tennis...the crowds even get a huge buzz out of it, so it's added some comedy/drama, the officials haven't suffered as a result, and the end result is better decisions...

So I say...let's 'ave it. The officials will still get 90+% correct without help anyway...but some of the 'grey' calls will also be made correctly, leading to an increase in the ultimate 'fairness', which I'd dare suggest we all want?


Slightly on-topic, my mind goes back to "The King and I" (?) Tour, wherein a big beefy knight gave Vivian Richards some serious stick for not being a 'walker' (Richards had been banging on about how sportsmanship was essential - before SIB pulled him up and 'outed' him as a cheat essentially).

One of the great walkers of the modern game of creekit has been B.C. Lara. If he nicked it he'd walk immediately without waiting for the one fingered salute from the umpire. This fact irked me somewhat when his integrity was questioned in a tour of Australia in 2001 where Lara claimed a fair catch in the slips but Justin Langer refused to walk. TV replays were inconclusive because of the dip in the pitch and the third umpire couldn't give him out.

Our Brian was not best impressed I tell thee..

England are to be involved in their first referral match starting today against a West Indies board X1. They are allowed two referrals per innings which will be upheld if the appeal is successful. Watching the replays up in the booth will be Jimmy Cliff, who has been warned not to turn the TV over and watch MTV reggae when it gets a bit boring out in the middle..