Cricket: Graphics would have upheld review

Sri Lankan players discuss what to do after finding the DRS unavailable for the dismissal of New...
Sri Lankan players discuss what to do after finding the DRS unavailable for the dismissal of New Zealand opener Martin Guptill during Sunday's sixth one-day international at the University Oval in Dunedin. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
Turns out Sri Lankan seamer Dhammika Prasad was robbed of Martin Guptill's wicket after all.

Prasad felt he had trapped the Black Caps opener lbw for six but umpire Derek Walker ruled in favour of the batsman.

Sri Lanka was not able to challenge the umpire's decision because of a technical glitch with the lbw camera at the end.

However, Virtual Eye chief executive Ian Taylor released a statement yesterday confirming the ball-tracking system worked perfectly and showed a review would have been upheld and the on-field decision overturned.

Taylor said the absence of the Decision Review System for the Guptill lbw appeal during Sunday's one-dayer in Dunedin had caused confusion.

The problem, he wrote, ''was whether or not the Virtual Eye graphics could have been used on their own to make that call''.

''As things currently stand the tracking graphics are overlaid on the live broadcast camera shooting down the wicket.

''Although that camera is not part of the tracking system and does not affect the validity of the tracking, it is used to help display the tracking graphics.

''A technical malfunction meant that this camera was not available and so the overlay was not available.''

However, Taylor said the graphics could have been used on their own.

''It is actually how the system worked in the early days. The problem [on Sunday] was that the current DRS protocol did not specifically deal with this issue and there was no-one at the venue who was authorised to actually make the call to go with the `graphics only' solution.

''That is something we will be working through with the match referee in Wellington when we meet on Wednesday.''

The camera was out of action for about 13 overs during New Zealand's innings. Sky's producer of cricket Alan Henderson described the equipment failure as an ''uncommon incident''.

For the record, Guptill added a further 22 runs. Prasad finished with two for 59.

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