Ashes 2013: Mitchell Starc urges Australia not to let umpire error distract them from the job at hand

July 13th, 2013

Peter Nolan

Updated

July 13, 2013 18:34:11

Mitchell Starc celebrates taking the wicket of Joe Root

Photo:
Mitchell Starc has called on his team-mates to focus on day four rather than look back on the controversies of day three. (Andrew Yates, AFP)

Video: Geoff Lawson discusses all the highlights and controversy of day three of the first test
(ABC News)

Mitchell Starc has urged his Australia team-mates to focus on keeping themselves in with a chance of victory in the first Test, and not on the controversial umpiring decision which saw Stuart Broad deemed not out on day three.

Broad was on 37 when he clearly edged to Michael Clarke at slip before umpire Aleem Dar ruled the allrounder not out.

The England batsman went onto build an unbeaten 108 partnership with Ian Bell – a stand which lifted England to 6 for 326 at stumps with a lead of 261 runs.

While Broad’s decision not to walk off has sparked a huge debate among former players, commentators and fans, Starc says the team must remain focussed on the job at hand as they look to turn their first Test fortunes around.

“That’s cricket, you get some good decisions and you get some bad ones. It’s done and dusted now,” he said.

“We can’t call him back or go back on the decision so we’ll get on with the game.

“We have two days of cricket so we’ve got to back ourselves to chase whatever is on the board.

“We’ll focus on getting the ball in the right spot and making sure we’re on song.

“We had it going nicely with the first ball and we need to come back tomorrow and try and get these last four wickets as cheaply as we can, then we’ll think about our batting.

“The first hour is going to be the big key for us. If we can crack it open early, and restrict that score and go about our business.”

Umpire decisions mar fantastic opening few days

Following the drama of day three, former England captain Michael Vaughan took to Twitter to express his disappointment that an umpire’s decision was overshadowing three brilliant days of cricket.

Dar’s decision to rule in favour of Broad was not the first controversial call this test has seen.

England themselves had been angered on Thursday by third umpire Marais Erasmus after the South African gave Jonathan Trott out lbw when the hosts were convinced the batsman had hit the ball and denied them the wicket of Ashton Agar, on six, when they thought the 19-year-old debutant had been stumped.

Agar went on to make 98 – the highest score by a Test match No 11.

England paceman James Anderson, speaking after play on Thursday, said Trott’s dismissal was “very frustrating”.

Meanwhile another former England captain, Bob Willis, waded into the debate saying Trott’s exit was a “staggeringly bad” decision, while the Agar call was “shocking”.

Erasmus is due to stand in the next two Ashes Tests and officiate as third umpire in the fourth.

Creator of Hot Spot apologises

Since Thursday England has received an apology from the inventor of Hot Spot – the thermal image system used by the third umpires.

“The operator sat on the Root delivery in order to offer a replay from the previous ball and did not realise until it was too late that he should have triggered the system for the Trott delivery as the priority,” said the system’s creator Warren Brennan.

“Simple mistake, something that anyone could have made but my Hot Spot operator has worked on the system since 2007 and to my knowledge this is the first serious mistake he has made.”

An ICC spokesman said the global governing body “don’t have a comment to make, because this was an umpiring decision”.

It remains to be seen if any comment will be made about Friday’s incident.