Ponting in fresh umpiring row
2010-03-22 15:01
Wellington - Winds of more than 130km/h have sparked a fresh umpiring row on day four of the first Test between Australia and New Zealand in Wellington.
According to the Australian Associated Press, Australian spinner Nathan Hauritz sparked an umpiring row when he appealed for the wicket of Brendon McCullum, who padded up without playing a stroke when on 52.
Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf gave the batsman not out and Australian skipper Ricky Ponting called for a video referral under the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS).
However the strong winds meant the Virtual-Eye cameras weren't able to provide an accurate projection of the path of the ball towards the stumps.
Third umpire Aleem Dar of Pakistan upheld Rauf's decision and Ponting held up the game for several minutes as he argued with Rauf and fellow umpire Ian Gould of England.
A day earlier, New Zealand coach Mark Greatbatch said the technology of the UDRS was inconsistent.
"The ball-tracking cameras were blown so badly by the winds, which are upwards of 130km/h, that it could not successfully track the ball through the air."
"They're still operational, they're still up and tracking, but they're treating it on a case by case basis. If they're getting blown around too much as it happened in that case, there's nothing we can do about it."
Match referee Javagal Srinath said all of the cameras were shaking.
"It is a very unusual day, a very, very unusual day," he said.
"I just went down and briefed the teams so that they should not be taken aback if the pictures are not coming and how are they making this decision?
"If we can't decide, the challenge is null and void and they get it back."
Asked if Ponting and Vettori accepted the situation, Srinath said: "This is the only way."
Srinath said two cameras side-on to the wicket, used for run outs, no-balls and wides, had been taken down.
Ground staff had a tough time coping with the strong winds, with one worker hanging on grimly to the covers as he was dragged about five metres, narrowly avoiding slamming into the boundary fence.
