Cricket: Appeal for catch goes to television umpire

Canterbury top-order batsman Peter Fulton was left wondering before being dismissed under a rarely used rule yesterday.

Playing at a delivery outside off-stump - the fourth ball of Mark Orchard's first over - Fulton appeared to have been given the benefit of the doubt following a none-too-convincing appeal from the bowler for a catch to the wicketkeeper.

Not completely satisfied, and before he had said "not out", umpire Tony Hill called for assistance from third umpire Doug Cowie, who ruled there had been a knick off the bottom edge of Fulton's bat which had carried to Peter McGlashan.

Fulton departed without argument from his captain Craig McMillan, with whom he had shared a 35-run partnership.

"From my end I couldn't hear anything," Hill said between innings.

"But the way in which the players behind the wicket reacted I felt it was worth a second look.

"The rule is there, so why not use it."

Under rule 6.3 paragraph 2 (b), an on-field umpire can call for the assistance of a television replay for decisions on run outs, stumpings, catches or hit-wickets.

Thus far, the ruling applies only for matches played under New Zealand Cricket jurisdiction but, led by NZC umpires' manager Brian Aldridge, umpires here are hoping it might become universally accepted.

The fear, apparently, from ICC bosses is that too many decisions might be referred "upstairs" and ultimately devalue umpires' powers.