The Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder have played out a BBL Knockout thriller but one call left Usman Khawaja fuming.
The Adelaide Strikers’ improbable run to into the BBL Finals has continued in an thrilling six run win over the Sydney Thunder at the MCG in the Knockout.
The Strikers won five of their last six to romp from last into the finals and are now a win away from making the BBL Final after the win over the Thunder.
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But the Thunder will be ruing what could have been after slow start with the ball allowed the Strikers to get away while Usman Khawaja was left fuming after a contentious call by the third umpire.
The Strikers hit 6/184 off its 20 overs, thanks mainly to Ian Cockbain’s 65 off 38 balls, while the Thunder kept it relatively in check thanks only to Tanveer Sangha, who took 2/15 from his four overs.
The chase started well for the Thunder but in the seventh over at 1/56, Khawaja’s wicket fell to a controversial catch.
Charging down the wicket, Khawaja got an outside edge to Fawad Ahmed at short third man.
Taking it close to the ground, the Strikers star believed it was out immediately and the umpires sent it upstairs with a soft signal of out.
While the commentators on Fox Cricket all believed it was out, they were stunned when the result came back out.
“Two of the fairest cricketers you’ll see out there, this is an enormous moment in this game,” Mark Howard said. “That is a massive call.”
Michael Vaughan said immediately that you could “clearly see that it’s hit the ground”.
They were left as stunned as Khawaja when it was given out.
Vaughan said that umpires should be able to send it upstairs as “We’re not sure”.
“I don’t think he got enough of his hand under that ball,” Vaughan said. “I’ve never been a huge fan of the soft signal, I’d rather just used the technology.”
Later, Vaughan added: “It has always been a talking point since they brought in the soft signal whether it is right or wrong and on this occasion it went against Usman. It went against the Thunder. I’ve never really been a great fan of the soft signal just use the technology.”
A furious Khawaja fronted up to questions from the commentators and he was adamant it was not out, saying that the umpires call had cost him his wicket.
“No I didn’t think I was out,” Khawaja said.
“I thought at the end of the day the soft signal cost me. I’ve never been a big fan of the soft signal.
“When they give it out on the field it makes it hard to overturn.
“I said to the umpires on the field that I can’t believe a blade of grass didn’t touch the ball because that is all it needs to take.
“It looked like a blade of grass 100 per cent touched the ball. I’ll accept the umpire’s decision, but I don’t agree with it.
“They didn’t really give me a direct answer and I told them that, but I had to accept the decision. I don’t agree with it but I haven’t to accept it.
“I didn’t think it was out live. If I did I would have just walked off. I’ve got no issue if I see a ball and think that looks out I’ll just walk off, but it just looked like it bounced to me.
“As a fielder I know you don’t always know. You feel like and even I have felt like I have caught a few balls that bounced in front of me. I’m not questioning Fawad, I just thought it bounced.”
However, on Channel 7, Ricky Ponting said he believed it should be out.
“You can see when Fawad Ahmed comes up just how spread open wide his fingers were,” he said. “I’m concerned the ball hit his hand on the full. It hit his hand first. The ball didn’t bounce before his fingers.
“The rule states when your fingers spread wide like that, any part of the ball, even though it has gone in your hand first, if any part of that ball hits the ground it is actually not out. But I actually think it should be out. I think it is out.”
Social media was on the side of Khawaja as well, fuming over the call.
Sports journalist Liam Warren tweeted: “I’m sorry what. Blind Freddy could see that hit the ground. F*** the soft signal s*** off. That is a rubbish decision.
“Thunder have been absolutely robbed here”.
The wicket brought Jason Sangha and Alex Ross to the crease, and both men hit half centuries in a 90-run stand.
But the Thunder’s late order hitting couldn’t get the Sydney side over the line, falling just six runs short.
And the Strikers also ended on a somewhat sour note when Harry Conway’s final ball was put down in the deep, costing him a hat-trick.
Originally published as Usman Khawaja out as catch controversy divides Big Bash
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