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Cricket world erupts over umpire's bizarre time-keeping blunder

How long is 15 seconds?

That was the question of everyone’s minds during day one of the first Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka.

The start of the Test was hit by confusion and controversy before a run had even been scored.

It was sparked by the refusal of a Sri Lankan player review which prevented the tourists from taking two early wickets at Kingsmead.

Hashim Amla was given not out by umpire Aleem Dar following an appeal for leg before wicket, two balls after left-arm opening bowler Vishwa Fernando had Dean Elgar caught behind in just the second over.

Aleem Dar denied the review because he thought Sri Lanka had taken too long. Image: Super Sport
Aleem Dar denied the review because he thought Sri Lanka had taken too long. Image: Super Sport

New Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne conferred with Fernando and wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella and eventually signalled that he wanted a review.

But he was told he had taken too long and the decision was not sent to television umpire Ian Gould.

Replays showed the ball had pitched in line and would have hit the stumps, which would have resulted in the original decision being overturned if a review had been allowed.

The incident appeared to contravene the International Cricket Council’s playing conditions. They state that “the total time elapsed between the ball becoming dead and the review request being made shall be no more than 15 seconds”.

Replays showed Amla was plumb. Image: Super Sport
Replays showed Amla was plumb. Image: Super Sport

In an analysis during the lunch interval, SuperSport television showed the total time between Dar turning down the appeal and Karunaratne asking for a review was 12 seconds — within the permitted time.

The playing conditions also state that the umpire at the bowler’s end, in this case Dar, “shall provide the relevant player with a prompt after ten seconds if the request has not been made at that time”.

Replays did not make it clear whether Dar had offered a prompt.

Understandably, fans were fuming.

The lapse didn’t prove costly as Amla made only three before he was caught at second slip off Suranga Lakmal for three in the sixth over.

But even that was controversial, with on-field umpires originally ruling the ball hadn’t carried to Kusal Mendis, before third umpire Gould overturned the call.

It was clearly a clean catch. Image: Super Sport
It was clearly a clean catch. Image: Super Sport

Fernando took four wickets as South Africa, overwhelming favourites against a team seemingly in disarray, were bowled out for 235.

Sri Lanka were 1-49 in reply at stumps.

with AFP