The Bridgetown crowd was left in disbelief following a dubious umpire decision that denied West Indies bowler Shamar Joseph a crucial wicket on day one of the Frank Worrell Trophy series opener against Australia.
The tourists were 5-126 in the 46th over when Australian vice-captain Travis Head, unbeaten on 53 at the time, flashed at a wide delivery from Joseph, with the bottom edge sailing through to wicketkeeper Shai Hope.
However, the West Indies gloveman wasn’t certain whether the ball had carried, shrugging his shoulders when approached by his teammates.
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Joseph, who was one scalp away from a five-wicket haul, pleaded with the on-field officials before umpire Nitin Menon sent the decision upstairs.
UltraEdge technology confirmed the under-edge before Joseph began celebrating the apparent wicket with his teammates when replays of the catch were shown on the big screen.
However, there was audible shock around the venue when third umpire Adrian Holdstock handed down a not-out verdict, claiming there was not enough evidence to award the dismissal.
“I’ve got no clear evidence the ball has gone cleanly into the glove,” Holdstock said.
Meanwhile, it appeared as though no side-on camera angles were available to Holdstock, who relied on front-on footage to make his decision.
The ball made a bouncing motion into Hope’s gloves, but former West Indies bowler Ian Bishop suggested it had landed on the wicketkeeper’s fingers.
“That won’t go down well,” former West Indies bowler Ian Bishop said in commentary.
”It certainly looked as though it landed on the glove.”
Head couldn’t make the most of the reprieve, dismissed by West Indies seamer Justin Greaves after the tea break for 59, while Joseph finished with 4-46 from 16 overs.
