Ashes 2025: Adelaide Test Marred By Controversy; England Left Incensed Over Controversial Snicko Reprieve For Alex Carey

AUS vs ENG, Adelaide Test: An Ashes series never ends without a darning controversy. The 2025-26 edition of the historic red-ball series had a disputable moment of its own when Alex Carey survived a close caught-behind appeal. The controversial moment happened due to the failure of the review technology, which the supplier had acknowledged.

The moment happened on the first ball of the 63rd over when Alex Carey was at 72, when the England cricketers appealed for a caught behind. After on-field umpire Ahsan Raza did not move his finger, the visitors reviewed it immediately.

Alex Carey Gets A Reprieve Due To Human Error In Snicko

The review showed the ball travelling very close to the bat, which is when the snickometer was used. Notably, there was a spike, but before the ball reached the bat's bottom edge. TV umpire Chris Gaffaney had said that there was a spike before the bat; there was a clear gap as the ball passed under the bat.

Alex Carey had hinted that he had hit the ball, saying, "I thought there was a bit of a feather or some sort of noise when it passed the bat. It looked a bit funny on the replay, didn't it, with the noise coming early? If I was given out, I think I would have reviewed it - probably not confidently though. It was a nice sound as it passed the bat, yeah."

The Australian wicketkeeper-batter added that he had a 'bit of luck' that went his way today.

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Snicko Maker Admits Mistake, England Cricket Mull Complaint

BBG Sports, the company that provides the technology used in Test matches in Australia, has broken its silence following the recent drama. Founder Warren Brennan has admitted that the Snicko operator used the incorrect stump mic recording for the audio processing, with the company taking full responsibility.

"Given that Alex Carey admitted he had hit the ball in question, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the Snicko operator at the time must have selected the incorrect stump mic for audio processing. In light of this, BBG Sports takes full responsibility for the error," Founder Warren Brennan said to The Age.

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Following the founder's acknowledgement, England Cricket is considering raising its resentment over the Snicko tech used in Australia. The visiting camp will be unhappy about the situation.

Alex Carey went on to score 106 off 143 in front of his home crowd in Adelaide. Australia put up 326/8 on the opening day of the third Test match at the Adelaide Oval.