A fortnight after the World Cup final, umpiring standards in cricket was back in focus yet again on the opening day of the first Ashes Test on Thursday.
Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes tore through Australia’s batting line-up with Steve Smith fighting a lone battle to keep the rampant hosts at bay. But it was the two officials — Joel Wilson and Aleem Dar — who caught the attention on social media.
The visitors were struggling at 154/8 at tea in the game at Edgbaston, with Broad (4/38) and Woakes (3/35) sharing seven wickets between them.
Smith, one of three Australia players returning to Test action after serving lengthy bans for ball-tampering, was unbeaten at tea and leading a desperate fightback.
England’s performance was especially impressive given James Anderson, their all-time leading Test wicket-taker, bowled just four overs before going for a scan on a right calf injury.
Australia struggled to combat the moving ball in English conditions but the true worth of their score will only become apparent when England, shot out for just 85 by Ireland at Lord’s last week, bat.
Dangerous left-handed opener Warner was lbw to Broad for two and did not bother with a review, even though technology suggested the ball would have missed leg stump. Even before that, he was out caught behind first ball but was not given out and England did not review either.
As the initial exultant cheers from the crowd at an early wicket died down, Warner was subjected to a prolonged chorus of boos on his walk back to the pavilion, with spectators in the Hollies Stand waving strips of sandpaper and shouting “cheerio”.
Usman Khawaja then departed for 13, caught behind by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow off Woakes although, in an innings where the umpires had several decisions overturned, England needed a review to confirm a dismissal that left Australia 35/3.
Smith and Travis Head saw Australia to a lunch score of 83/3. But a fourth-wicket stand of 64 ended when Head was lbw to Woakes for 35, with new batsman Matthew Wade falling in similar fashion to leave Australia 105/5. The latter was given not out and was overturned on review.
In between those dismissals, Smith successfully reviewed after being given out lbw for 34 to Broad after not playing a shot.
An undaunted Smith completed a 119-ball fifty featuring just four fours, with Peter Siddle seven not out at tea after overturning an lbw decision on nought following a clear inside edge. Before that, James Pattinson did not review after being given out lbw. By the tea interval, seven wrong decisions were made in the match.
The umpires came for plenty of criticism on Twitter:
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