New Zealand vs Australia: Voges 'no ball' reprieve leaves sour taste for Kiwis

Australian media criticised the Hamilton crowd, calling them 'feral'

Australia’s Adam Voges is bowled late on by Doug Bracewell – only for the umpire to mistakenly call a no ball (AP)

Australia’s players feared another backlash from New Zealand fans after a contentious no-ball decision went in their favour in the final over of the first day’s play of the first Test.

Adam Voges was unbeaten on seven when he was bowled by Doug Bracewell with two deliveries remaining in the day’s play, only for umpire Richard Illingworth to signal a no ball. Television replays showed the delivery was legal but because the no ball had been called New Zealand were unable to ask for a review.

Australia finished the day on 147 for 3, 36 runs behind New Zealand’s first innings tally of 183.

The replay had the potential to create a backlash against the Australians similar to that they experienced after the final one-day international at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Monday.

In that match, Mitchell Marsh was given not out caught and bowled on 41 with his side in charge of their run chase, only for the crowd to erupt into a chorus of boos when they saw a replay on the big screen that showed he had been dismissed. Marsh was then given out, creating an angry response from all-rounder and batting partner Matthew Wade, while captain Steve Smith was booed at the end of the game when he questioned the decision.


 Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan’s maiden Twenty20 international half-century helped India level the three-match series against Sri Lanka with a 69-run win at Ranchi.
 (GETTY IMAGES)

Australian media criticised the Hamilton crowd, calling them “feral”, while suggesting the controversy from the underarm bowling incident from a 1981 one-day match between the two sides had now been put to bed.

Unlike in Hamilton, however, the replay was not shown immediately on the big screen at the Basin Reserve. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said his side had been concerned about the Voges decision when they saw replays.

“We were just hoping it didn’t come up on the big screen too quickly,” he laughed at a media conference. “[But] the umpires had made the decision. That’s what they’re there for, to make those tough decisions and that’s how it went.”

New Zealand shrugged off the decision, having not seen the replay on the field. “That’s cricket, I suppose. Once his arm is thrown out there’s not much you can do about it. That’s the way it goes,” off-spinner Mark Craig said. “There was some obvious disappointment but you can’t do anything about it.”

Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan’s maiden Twenty20 international half-century helped India level the three-match series against Sri Lanka with a 69-run win at Ranchi.

Opener Dhawan smashed his way to 51 off 25 balls, though India were eventually restricted to 196 for 6 thanks to a superb hat-trick in the 19th over from Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera.

However, the visitors failed to back that up, as Ashish Nehra (2 for 26) and Ravichandran Ashwin (3 for 14) ensured the run chase never got going, and despite the efforts of Dinesh Chandimal (31) and Chamara Kapugedera (32), Sri Lanka were left hanging on 127 for 9. With India skipper MS Dhoni winning on his home ground, the series now moves to a decider in Vishakhapatnam tomorrow.

Sri Lanka chose to field and were forced to wait for their rewards, with Dhawan crafting an attacking opening for India. The left-hander smashed seven fours and two sixes in his half-century, putting India on 75 in seven overs before being caught behind off Dushmantha Chameera.


 Tillakaratne Dilshan Dilshan was stumped first ball to Ashwin, followed swiftly by Seekkuge Prasanna and Danushka Gunathilaka

That left Rohit Sharma (43) to continue the scoring, as he and Ajinkya Rahane (25) put on 47 together, India reaching 100 in exactly 11 overs.

Chameera came to Sri Lanka’s rescue again, taking a brilliant catch off his own bowling with Sharma confused by a slower delivery.

Rahane did not last much longer, easily caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan off Sachithra Senanayake, though with Hardik Pandya (27) and Suresh Raina (30) stringing 59 together in just 4.2 overs India looked odds-on to cross 200.

A superb 19th over from Perera undid all of that. He first had Pandya caught at long-on, then forced Raina into the hands of Chameera at backward square leg, before scalping no less than Yuvraj Singh with his hat-trick delivery.

Restricting India to 196 for 6, Sri Lanka proceeded to stumble themselves with the bat. Dilshan was stumped first ball to Ashwin, followed swiftly by Seekkuge Prasanna (1) and Danushka Gunathilaka (2), paceman Nehra accounting for the latter duo.

The rescue act came from Chandimal and Kapugedera with a steady 52-run stand. Kapugedera was eventually caught by Pandya off Ravindra Jadeja, who had Chandimal stumped next ball.

Five down and with 128 required from 48 balls, Sri Lanka came out on the attack as Dasun Shanaka (27) and Milinda Siriwardana (28 not out) hit a few big sixes between them. A good catch by Raina at long-on ended Shanaka’s surge, and the 48-run stand, while new man Perera was another first-ball victim for Ashwin, with Jasprit Bumrah removing Senanayake (lbw) and Chameera (bowled) for a duck each.