Dunedin innovator on winning wicket

Ian Taylor
Ian Taylor
Test cricket has taken a radical step and Dunedin-based company Animation Research Ltd is guiding the umpires through the change.

The test series between Sri Lanka and India, which began last night in Colombo, is trialling an umpire review system which will, for the first time, allow players to challenge decisions, and also allow the third umpire to use sophisticated technology to help make lbw decisions.

The Dunedin company has spent $1 million over the past 18 months developing Virtual Eye - a ball-tracking system and an animated graphic display package - for the Indian market and is confident the technology will improve the umpires' decision-making.

Ball-tracking technology has been used in the past by broadcasters to improve the viewing experience, but until now it has not had an official role in the game.

The ICC was keen to trial the system in a test series and Sri Lanka and India agreed, but first Virtual Eye had to pass its own test.

Animation Research managing director Ian Taylor said he was given short notice to prepare and the technology was only officially tested by ICC delegates on Monday.

"We had toyed with the idea of turning it [the opportunity] down because our feeling was it was going to be real tough," he said from Sri Lanka yesterday.

"We'd never been to the ground and had no experience of the conditions there. It was a nerve-racking experience."

Virtual Eye was given an emphatic pass mark and is accurate to within 1.9mm.

"A lot of people doubted it and questioned whether it was accurate or not. Even we did, but to have those official numbers, you know you can deliver with real confidence."

Mr Taylor hopes the vote of confidence will help Virtual Eye break Hawk-Eye's stranglehold on the market.

The challenge system, which has been tried in English county cricket, allows players to refer decisions made by on-field umpires to the TV umpire for review. The TV umpire is allowed to use certain technology before relaying a final decision to the on-field umpire.

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