England continued to solidify their dominant position in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford during the first session of Day 3, with Ben Stokes and Harry Brook impressively driving their innings forward. However, the Australian fielders provided some assistance to the English batsmen, as they missed several half-chances consecutively.
The pivotal moment came when Alex Carey had a simple runout opportunity in the 74th over but failed to seize it. During a face-off with Mitchell Starc, Ben Stokes elegantly struck a fullish delivery through the covers. Substitute fielder Michael Neser chased the ball, and after completing a run, Stokes signaled for a quick double, which could have been risky.
Neser collected the ball efficiently and hurled it back fiercely to Carey, catching Brook far from the crease. Yet, under the pressure of the situation, Carey failed to gather the ball in his gloves and missed the opportunity to break the stumps. He immediately acknowledged his mistake, preventing the visitors from even appealing for a dismissal.
The situation worsened when replays revealed that although Carey had let go of the ball (Dukes) just before disturbing the stumps with his hands, it had fallen back onto the pitch and rolled onto the wickets simultaneously, potentially resulting in Stokes being dismissed even with the fumble.
A missed opportunity for @CricketAus 😯
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 21, 2023
Can this prove costly to the visitors?#SonySportsNetwork #ENGvAUS #TheAshes #Ashes2023 #RivalsForever pic.twitter.com/KWPG2iZbX8
However, due to the lack of an appeal from the fielding side, the decision was not referred to the third umpire. This incident sparked frustration among fans on social media, as they couldn’t believe such a crucial mistake made by Carey at that point in the match.