Richard Boock: ICC's policy on technology leaves umpires exposed

Don't hold your breath for an error-free performance from the umpires in tonight's Chappell-Hadlee decider at the Gabba.

A regular feature of New Zealand's visit to the Lucky Country, the mistake-ridden display started on the first day of the first test at Brisbane, was still going strong during the one-dayer on Wednesday, and is likely to again have a bearing in tonight's tour finale.

The catalogue of bloopers so far includes confirmed gaffes from West Indian Steve Bucknor and Pakistan's Aleem Dar in the first test, more mistakes from Bucknor and David Shepherd at Adelaide, and some downright awful decisions in the first two ODIs.

In particular, Australia's Peter Parker made at least three errors on Wednesday night and South African Rudi Koertzen wasn't much better, leaving New Zealand feeling frustrated about the chances they might have received.

Scott Styris and Brendon McCullum were particularly unlucky to be adjudged lbw at Sydney, Jacob Oram should have received the benefit of the doubt, and seam bowler Kyle Mills again trapped Aussie opener Matthew Hayden dead in front, but could not persuade umpire Parker.

New Zealand players and officials are prohibited from criticising umpires or decisions, but it is understood that coach John Bracewell was seething about the events of Wednesday night, and especially after his team were pipped by just 17 runs.

It was Bracewell, after all, who found a novel way around the gagging order in the first test at Brisbane, complaining that, if the umpires were always right as some people claimed, then the replay technology was obviously faulty and should be retired.

Not that anyone pushed the point at the time, but if you had substituted the word "Bucknor" for "technology" throughout his comments, you would have ended up with a fairly accurate idea of his feelings.

Bad umpiring decisions are difficult to ignore for Bracewell, who prides himself on honing the small, 1 per cent-type factors in his side, on the basis that all the little victories can soon add up to a sizeable advantage.

With that in mind, it's not altogether surprising to hear that smoke was coming out his ears during New Zealand's run-chase at Sydney, and that he was still feeling extremely grumpy as the team left the ground for their hotel.

Outside the throwing and walking debates, the umpiring issue remains one of the International Cricket Council's biggest headaches, and a sobering thought is that it's probably going to get worse before it gets better.

At the heart of the matter is the reluctance of the ICC to allow umpires unrestricted access to television replay technology, meaning their decisions are often exposed seconds later by the latest slow-motion cameras and audio equipment.

New Zealand Cricket umpiring boss Brian Aldridge insisted yesterday that there was only one feasible way of getting around the problem, and that was by allowing umpires to use whatever technical assistance they desired.

Aldridge, who stood in the 1992 World Cup final between England and Pakistan, said the present system was manifestly unfair on match officials, as it effectively forced them to make a decision with the naked eye, while everyone else used high-tech measuring equipment.

"The only out of this as I see it, is to give umpires unfettered access to all the technological assistance available," Aldridge said. "That way, they can get the decision right the first time for the good of everyone."

It was clearly untenable to have a process in which decisions were being regularly exposed by equipment that the standing umpires weren't allowed to use.

"It's just a recipe for hanging officials out to dry and we've got to be a bit concerned about the impact that it might have on the image of the job," he said.

"It's hard for umpires to engender respect if they're constantly being shown up by technology."

One suggestion out of England was to allow teams a set number of appeals against umpiring decisions each innings, something that Aldridge has already expressed reservations about, and hopes will be abandoned.

His stance was that, if you have enough technology to make monkeys out of the umpires after a decision, why not let them use it at the time so that there'd be no need for further redress?

"When we're talking about professional sport in the 21st century, about people's livelihoods being on the line, and about massive crowd and television audiences, the bottom line is to get as many decisions as possible correct."

Aldridge said NZC was entering its third summer of unrestricted technology access for domestic umpires and that although the number of games televised was minimal, the lack of debate on the subject was telling.

"I think it's worked very well and is a good indication of how it might operate at international level. "There's hardly been a peep about it over the past couple of years, which suggests that we're moving in the right direction at least."

HEROES ...

Kyle Mills

Mills reckons the jokes died pretty quickly when he started slogging in the second one-dayer.

Mills was officially added to the Black Caps' lower-order artillery with a 26-ball unbeaten 44 which included four huge sixes in consecutive balls.

While Mills' 38-match one-day career is based on his swing bowling, the Aucklander had the crowd - and the Australian team - aghast as he helped plunder 30 runs off two overs to reduce the equation to a run a ball with five overs remaining.

Mills was also surprised to see Darren Lehmann trundle in to deliver the 43rd over instead of Brett Lee off the long run.

"It is the first time I've faced him. I thought I'd give it a go and see what happens," Mills said.

He hit Lehmann twice over mid-wicket and in the next over from Hogg he smacked the spinner down the ground for successive sixes before Ricky Ponting summoned the fast men.

"They were joking around with each other when I got there, then it was all serious faces."

Chris Harris

Ponting has praised the bravery of Chris Harris for coming out to bat at No 11 when in obvious pain from a torn rotator cuff.

Ponting was batting when Harris fell heavily on his right shoulder in the 20th over.

"He was saying out there that he couldn't feel his arm and he felt his shoulder was out of joint. So that being the case I didn't think he would bat," Ponting said.

"As soon as he was out, I ran straight to the middle of the wicket to him and said I thought that was a very gutsy and very good effort for him to come out and bat and do the best for his team that he possibly could.

"He showed a lot of guts."

AND VILLAIN

Adam Gilchrist

Curbing the explosiveness of Gilchrist is a key to New Zealand claiming first ownership of the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.

For all Mills' heroics, it was a power hitter with an impeccable pedigree that helped shape a favourable outcome for the Australians, as Gilchrist pounded 60 off 48 balls to get the home side rolling on a sluggish batting surface.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming admitted they could ill-afford to let the barnstorming Gilchrist repeat the carnage he has wrought in Melbourne (68 off 54) and the SCG when the series is decided at the Gabba in Brisbane tonight.

"The two starts we've had [bowling] have been a little disappointing," Fleming said of eight-over spells that have both surrendered 70-odd runs.