Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey admitted he thought he had edged the ball after being given not out on review during day one of the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.

Carey, who survived on 72, went on to score a match-defining 106, helping Australia reach 326-8 at the close. The incident sparked debate over the reliability of the Snicko technology used in Australia for detecting edges.

The Controversial Moment

The drama occurred in the 63rd over when Carey attempted a cut off England bowler Josh Tongue. Umpire Ahsan Raza initially gave him not out. England captain Ben Stokes called for a review, confident the ball had taken an edge.

TV umpire Chris Gaffaney, reviewing the footage, noted a spike on Snicko, but it appeared before the ball had reached Carey’s bat. As a result, Carey was given not out, much to the relief of the home crowd.

“I thought there was a feather or some sort of noise when it passed the bat,” Carey said after the innings. “If I was given out I think I would have reviewed it, probably not confidently. It was a nice sound as it passed the bat.”

Snicko Under Scrutiny

The incident has intensified concerns over edge detection technology in the Ashes series. Jonathan Agnew of BBC Test Match Special noted,
“It was a proper spike and appeared this time before the bat. It couldn’t have been anything else. The software isn’t working right. Carey should have been out caught behind.”

Similar controversies have occurred previously in the series. During the first Test in Perth, England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith was given out caught behind on review, even though the spike appeared after the ball had passed his bat and glove. This discrepancy is due to a two-frame gap between pictures and sound in the Australian Snicko system, supplied by BBG Sports and broadcast by Fox Sports.

Australia bowling coach David Saker indicated England may raise the matter further with match referee Jeff Crowe, commenting:
“There have been concerns about it for the whole series. We shouldn’t be talking about this after a day’s play, it should just be better than that. It is what it is.”

Carey’s Ashes Reputation

Carey is no stranger to Ashes controversy. He was involved in the famous Jonny Bairstow stumping at Lord’s during the 2023 series, which had dramatic implications for the final day. Reflecting on his reprieve in Adelaide, Carey said:
“Snicko obviously didn’t line up. It is just the way cricket goes—sometimes you have a bit of luck. Maybe it went my way.”

When asked if he considered himself a ‘walker’—the tradition of leaving the field if a batter knows they are out—Carey joked: “Clearly not.”

Match Context

At the time of the incident, Australia were 245-6, with Carey holding the innings together. Despite England’s strong bowling efforts, Carey’s century was crucial in setting a competitive total. The series has seen several controversial umpiring and technology decisions, highlighting the ongoing debate about Snicko reliability in international cricket.