Cricket: Umpire admits mistake in lbw appeal

Australia bowler Brett Lee dives to catch England batsman Andrew Strauss for 37. Picture / Reuters

LONDON - Umpire Rudi Koertzen admitted to Brett Lee he made a mistake in rejecting a leg before wicket appeal when an attempted yorker almost turned into another beamer from the Australian cricket paceman yesterday.

Lee's attempt at a sandshoe crusher to Kevin Pietersen during the third day of the first test at Lord's stayed mid-air after he flung it at 145km/h and smashed into the stunned English batsman's thigh in front of the stumps.

At least it stayed low enough to avoid a repeat of the high beamers he hurled at Brendon McCullum earlier this year and at Marcus Trescothick in the one-day series against England three weeks ago.

Instead, it should have brought Lee a wicket and sent England crumbling to 123 for six in their chase for 420 for victory.

"I think Rudi just lost it, he said that he didn't really pick it up," Lee said. "He said he may have got it wrong, he apologised.

"But umpires do make mistakes as everyone else does. In that type of situation the ball's going at a pretty decent pace.

"I was disappointed the wicket wasn't there, but I wasn't annoyed with Rudi, I know that's the way it goes. I was trying to hit him on the full on the toes and it just went a little bit higher than what I expected to do.

"I was hoping for a wicket, turned around pleading to Rudi, he obviously saw it some other way."

The precocious Pietersen was shocked by the ball which trapped him plumb in front and which television replays showed would have hit middle stump.

He then stared down Lee and the pair exchanged words after Pietersen was beaten outside off stump with the next delivery.

Lee has made a big impact in his first test in 19 months, bowling with pace and menace to take three first innings wickets and another two on the third day, sparking England's second innings collapse to put Australia in sight of victory.

As Trescothick and Andrew Strauss looked settled at 80 without loss, Lee forced Strauss to fend off a short ball and he sprinted from his follow-through to dive head first and take a brilliant catch off his own bowling.

"I looked up and knew it wasn't going to reach to Gilly [Adam Gilchrist] and midwicket wasn't really going to have a go at it so I thought I'd better put it back in first gear and see if I can get there," he said.

"It was lucky the ball fell in my hand nicely."

- AAP