Dropped catches and poor use of the DRS set tone for a frustrating day for New Zealand
Firdose Moonda in Dunedin11-Mar-2017Over 24.3: Incorrect review, Duminy on 2 Trent Boult was convinced he had JP Duminy caught behind with a delivery that swung away late and squared him up, taking what looked like an outside edge. BJ Watling and James Neesham, stationed at slip, appealed with Bout, who was so convinced he called for a review on his own, almost leaving Kane Williamson with no choice but to go upstairs. Williamson should have waited on Neesham’s word, because the allrounder was signalling that he knew Duminy’s bat had not made contact with the ball and it had come off the thigh pad. Instead, he went with Boult but Hotspot confirmed Neesham was correct and New Zealand’s first review was gone.Over 28.1: Dropped, Duminy on 6 Two overs later, Boult should have had Duminy legitimately when he induced the edge with a delivery that swung away and took the shoulder of the bat on the way through to slip. Tom Latham at first slip in place of the injured Ross Taylor went for a regulation catch with both hands but spilled the chance.Over 37.6: No review, Duminy on 20 After surviving the pace onslaught, Duminy’s next challenge was spin in the form of Jeetan Patel, who should have dismissed him at the end of his first over of the morning. The delivery was tossed up and turned away from Duminy, beat the outside edge and struck him on the back pad. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena gave it not out and New Zealand, despite a vociferous appeal, opted not to review. Ball-tracking showed that the ball would have gone on to hit off stump. Had New Zealand referred it, Dharamasena’s on-field decision would have been overturned.Over 39.3: Incorrect review, Duminy on 27 The frustration of their missed opportunity may have led to New Zealand referring another Patel delivery to Duminy. A flatter ball that skidded on caught Duminy on the back foot and crashed into his front pad. Dharmasena said not out and New Zealand reviewed. BJ Watling seemed to be as convinced as Patel, and Williamson went on the keeper and bowler’s word. Replays showed a thick inside edge had actually caused the ball to deflect onto the pad so Duminy was safe.Over 40.3: Dropped, Elgar on 35 In the next over, Watling could have redeemed himself by taking the catch that would have sent Elgar, who had remained out of the action up to that point, back to the dressing room. Neesham angled a ball into Elgar from round the wicket, who was drawn into a poke and the edge carried fairly wide of Watling but in between him and Latham at a wide slip. Watling dived full stretch to his left, went for the catch one-handed and got fingertips to it but needed more reach and a tighter grip to hold on. Watling also dropped Elgar in the first innings on 36.Over 53.1: Dropped, Elgar on 48 New Zealand removed Duminy shortly after lunch but gave Elgar a third life when he went down the track to attack a Patel delivery that was tossed up offside. Elgar hit the ball hard towards the two short covers positioned there for that exact reason. Colin de Grandhomme was one of them, on the field in place of the injured Taylor, and the ball burst through his hands. Not only did Elgar get away with a bit of rashness, but he also got the two runs that took him to fifty.Over 61.4: Doesn’t carry, Elgar on 61 Elgar continued to be a little uncertain against spin when he reached out to drive a Patel offbreak and got an outside edge. The ball fell just short of Neesham at first slip. Had he been a step closer, who not come up so quickly from his stance, Neesham may have been able to take the catch low down. Instead, it was another near-miss. Over 73.5: Survived, Elgar on 73 New Zealand thought they had finally seen the back of Elgar when he was given out caught behind off Patel on the last ball before tea by umpire Dharmasena but they celebrated too soon. South Africa still had a review in hand and Elgar knew he hadn’t hit the ball. The sound New Zealand and Dharmasena heard was bat on pad, and the absence of a mark on Hotspot or a spike on Snicko confirmed it. Dharmasena’s decision was overturned and Elgar’s innings resumed after the break.
