In the opening fixture of the Ashes 2023, England commenced their innings with a scoring rate of approximately four runs per over. After 28 overs, they had accumulated a total of 127 runs for the loss of three wickets, with Zak Crawley being the most recent batsman to depart.
However, his return to the pavilion was far from ordinary, as a peculiar umpiring decision caused frustration among both the Australian team and the fans.
During the 27th over, bowled by Scott Boland, Crawley, a right-handed batsman, faced the fourth delivery. Boland delivered a challenging ball just outside the off-stump, resulting in a distinct sound as the ball passed the edge of the bat.
The entire Australian team appealed fervently for the dismissal, but umpire Marais Erasmus ruled Crawley not out. In response, the visiting team chose to review the decision, and the snickometer clearly displayed that Crawley had indeed made contact with the ball.
— Octopus Yadav (@OctopusYadav) June 16, 2023
Umpire Erasmus’s erroneous call generated a wave of discontent among numerous fans, who took to social media platforms like Twitter to express their dissatisfaction with the decision.