Cricket: Correct process followed in ODI

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Was Mitchell Marsh out? Of course he was.

The Australian all-rounder jammed a delivery squarely into the toe of his boot so hard the ball ballooned back to Black Caps seamer Matt Henry, who grabbed the catch in his follow through.

None of that is in dispute. What is in dispute is whether he should have been given out.

Henry's appeal was so half-hearted he did not even bother turning around to eyeball umpire Ian Gould.

In fact, there was general apathy in the New Zealand camp until the replay was shown on the big screen.

Most had assumed the ball took a big chunk of turf, as well as toe, before it found its way into Henry's mitts.

The replay was conclusive - it was all toe. Marsh was out.

It proved to be a controversial turning point in the third one-day international at Seddon Park on Monday night.

Leaving aside any personal views on whether replays on the big screen should dictate terms, the question is was the correct process followed when Gould decided to refer the incident to third umpire Sundaram Ravi?

Yes. Yes it was.

New Zealand Cricket match officials manager Rodger McHarg made it clear he could not comment on the veracity of Marsh's dismissal. Those questions were better directed at match referee Chris Broad.

However, McHarg was able to offer comment around the process.

"The correct process was followed,'' McHarg said.

"In the case of clarifying or questioning a clean catch, the umpires have the right to refer to the third umpire. The third umpire then takes his time to review all of the information he needs and then a decision is made. That is the normal process.''

Asked if there was a time limit, McHarg said the umpires could refer it at any time.

As for whether replays on the big screen should sway the course of a match, well the All Blacks possibly have a different take on it from the Black Caps.

They were denied a narrow victory against South Africa when Pat Lambie kicked a 55m match-winning penalty with 90 seconds remaining at Ellis Park in 2014.

Lambie only got the opportunity after a replay on the big screen prompted referee Wayne Barnes to ask the TMO to review a high tackle by Liam Messam on Schalk Burger.

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