Thunder batter Matthew Gilkes was controversially run out by Sixers star Hayden Kerr after bowler Jack Edwards appeared to fluff the wicket by hitting the stumps with his hands.
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The Thunder were cruising at 2-73 in the ninth over needing just 80 runs from 68 balls to win the game when disaster struck.
Kerr ran out Matthew Gilkes for 26 off 22, but standing at the stumps, Sixers star Jack Edwards appeared to touch the stumps before the ball dislodged the bails.
The umpires sent the decision upstairs and Gilkes was eventually given out because they ruled Edwards’ didn’t dislodge the zing bails before the ball did.
Mark Waugh and Michael Hussey thought the decision was correct, but Mark Howard wasn’t so sure.
“It looked messy, but I think to the letter of the law it was out,” Waugh said.
“Controversial,” Hussey said.
“Howie you were shaking your head why is that?
“I thought the way the third umpire went through that process was pretty clear, so why are you shaking your head?”
“You two are the experts, but I just feel if they were non zing bails, if they were your traditional bails, you are not giving that out,” Howard replied.
However, Hussey countered the rule is the zing bails have to be dislodged to constitute a wicket.
“But the rule is there are zing bails and it is when they light up,” Hussey said.
“So it is almost like his fingers were on top of the stumps and then the first time the bails went off, the ball was breaking the stumps. I think that is the right decision.”
“Yeah I think its right,” Waugh added.
But Howard believes in the long history of cricket Gilkes would not have been given out before the time of zing bails.
“It could well be the right decision, but it is going against 140 years of cricket because you have seen a hand hit the stump and the ball come in,” Howard said.
“Watch the bowler’s reaction.”
Doesn’t get more UNLUCKY than this! | 00:43
“Yeah he knows he hit the stumps,” Waugh admitted.
“He knows he knocked the bails off, but his fingers didn’t dislodge the bails, but the ball did.” Hussey added.
However, Waugh believes the Thunder only had themselves to blame for going for two when it wasn’t on.
“You saw the hand hit the stump, but it didn’t dislodge the bail,” Waugh said.
“It is a bit of a gift wicket. They were pushing hard for a couple of close twos in that over already.
“I just don’t think they needed to do that at this stage of the game. It was silly because they had the game under control.
“They are playing like they are behind in the game. They are being too frantic at the moment and they are just opening up the door for the Sixers.”
Speaking to reporters after the match, which the Thunder won by four wickets, wicketkeeper Sam Billings declared it was the “wrong decision”.
“It’s not out, is it? It’s not out,” Billings said.
“As soon as you see his hand moves the stumps, there’s obviously going to be a slight delay with the light.
“(Edwards) didn’t even say a word, which just about sums it up.
“Collectively around the world we have to find a better system with decision like that … just make sure the calls are getting right the whole time.
“I thought it was the wrong decision straight away … unless I’m getting that horribly wrong with the law of the game where the bail has to be out of the groove. It might be a law thing, I don’t know.”
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