New Zealand's cricketers believe the injustice of Nathan Lyon's controversial reviewed decision is largely to blame for their predicament in the third Test against Australia.
Third umpire Nigel Llong made a howler of a call on Saturday which swayed the series-decider in Australia's favour.
With Australia on the ropes at 8-116 and Lyon yet to score, Llong gave the Australian not out despite Hot Spot replays showing he edged a ball onto his shoulder before being caught.
Lyon himself conceded he was out - after watching the Hot Spot replay which showed the mark on his bat he walked three-quarters of the way to the boundary as Llong reviewed the on-field not out decision.
But inexplicably Llong gave Lyon not out and he went on to make 34 in a game-turning 74-run partnership with Peter Nevill, which helped Australia take a first-innings lead.
Llong, relaying his decision to controlling umpire Sundaram Ravi, said: "It's a mark on the bat but it could have come from anywhere ... give it not out."
Kiwi batsman Ross Taylor said the tourists were confident Lyon was out.
"The Hot Spot that showed up, Lyon walking off and nearly getting to the boundary - I think it has had a big bearing on the match," Taylor told reporters.
"But yeah. I mean it is what it is. I guess we have just got to get on with it."
Taylor largely bit his tongue when attending the after-play media conference, saying captain Brendon McCullum didn't say much after the controversial call.
"I think that was the good thing about it, once the decision was there, he was the first one to say 'C'mon boys, just get on with it'," Taylor said.
"But yeah my Facebook is going off the hook at the moment back home in New Zealand."
He added: "I think I have still got my match fee, haven't I?", in a reference to potential fines given to players for publicly speaking out against umpires.
Asked if the incorrect decision was hard to fathom given the technology available, Taylor replied: "Maybe you have got to ask Nigel that."
"But yeah, that was one of the discussions that the boys did talk about in the changerooms," he said.
"We can understand when umpires make the wrong decision on the field.
"But once you have got so many different angles and what-not, you would think that more often than not, 99 to 100 per cent of the time, you're going to get the right answer.
"But I guess we didn't."
Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood made a similar point post-play, saying: "All that technology there and they still couldn't quite get a decision (right)."
Share
