Worst Umpiring Decisions - Cricinfo article

[Top_Cat]

In the 2005 Ashes, Brett lee hit Simon Jones on the full, on the back pad, shin high, from around the wicket. It was hitting middle 9 inches from the bottom. I remember how distraught Lee was at the time, more so when Jones and Flintoff added 40-odd for the last wicket.

It was even worse than that. Was at Edgbaston but wasn't on the full. Just full of a good length so the umpire would have had a good view of it. It was heading leg-side but then swung back late and hit Jones plumb as you like in front of middle. Worst not-out ever and may have been Billy who gave it not.

Also at Hobart, there was a massive shout for acaught behind vs Langer in the famous partnership between he and Gilly in the test where Australia chased 369 vs Pakistan. I think Wasim was the bowler and the whole side just blew up a treat. There was a huge noise, but Langer I believe maintains to this day that he did not hit the ball.

It was a fine nick but was audible on the snicko and at ground level fromt eh reaction of the Pakistani's. At full-speed, it certainly wasn't audible. Either way, it was well wide of off-stump with the bat well above the ground at the point of 'contact' and Lang's bat nowhere near his body. If the umpire heard the noise then there was no way it could have been anything else other than a nick so I suspect he just didn't hear it as well as the Pakistani's. I do remember Wasim being so upset that he bounced Gillie with his quickest ball of the summer and watched as it was spanked to the mid-wicket fence, just to rub a little salt in.

 

[Richard]

Andrew Symonds opened in a one dayer for the first time in Hobart a few years back and was given not out to a blatant caught behind. He made 80 odd I think which kept him in the side leading into the 2003 WC. The rest, as they say....

You sure? Might have happened, but I don't think it was pre-WC2003 - Symonds' best score before then was 68*, with only 1 other half-century, both of which were long before WC2003.

Might have been after Symonds' establishment in side, methinks.

 

[Burgey]

You sure? Might have happened, but I don't think it was pre-WC2003 - Symonds' best score before then was 68*, with only 1 other half-century, both of which were long before WC2003.

Might have been after Symonds' establishment in side, methinks.

Got his score wrong - from memory it was this match:

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/65610.html

The innings went some way towards helping him stay in the side at that time. I think his place was being questioned before he was given that opportunity.

In any event, it was a woeful decision.

 

[Richard]

As I recall his place was being questioned regularly before WC2003. And rightly so, obviously.

 

[river end]

One that springs to mind and off the top of my head the details were.

1992 WC, South Africas readmission. Donald steams into Marsh in his first over. Marsh hits the cover off the ball and is caught behind. "Not Out"

Yep, I remember that one. World Cup February 1992 Sydney. First ball of the match actually. Donald bowls a short ball outside the off stump and Marsh waves the bat at it, gets a good piece of the willow on it, through to the keeper!!
A video of this is on youtube

Then a totally opposite decision involving Geoff Marsh...

1991 - Australia v West Indies 4th test - The West Indies are on well on top, the crowd roaring Ambrose on, steaming in to bowl to Geoff Marsh, first ball of the second innings, angled in, raps Marsh on the pad outside leg stump!!, HUGE appeal, the bias WI umpire can't help himself, caught up in the moment....OUT!

 

[river end]

Quote:
Also at Hobart, there was a massive shout for acaught behind vs Langer in the famous partnership between he and Gilly in the test where Australia chased 369 vs Pakistan. I think Wasim was the bowler and the whole side just blew up a treat. There was a huge noise, but Langer I believe maintains to this day that he did not hit the ball.

It was a fine nick but was audible on the snicko and at ground level fromt eh reaction of the Pakistani's. At full-speed, it certainly wasn't audible. Either way, it was well wide of off-stump with the bat well above the ground at the point of 'contact' and Lang's bat nowhere near his body. If the umpire heard the noise then there was no way it could have been anything else other than a nick so I suspect he just didn't hear it as well as the Pakistani's. I do remember Wasim being so upset that he bounced Gillie with his quickest ball of the summer and watched as it was spanked to the mid-wicket fence, just to rub a little salt in.


I pretty much agree with that, though I wouldn't describe it as a "huge" nick, but it was definitely audible live. Naturally Langer isn't going to admit he hit it.

That decision effectively cost Pakistan any chance of winning the test and staying in the series. There were only the bowlers left after that and Wasim and Waqar were bowling well enough to think they were a good chance of running through the rest of the batting.