The third Ashes Test at Adelaide witnessed yet another DRS flashpoint on Day 2, with Jamie Smith’s dismissal off Pat Cummins reopening serious questions around the reliability and interpretation of Real-Time Snickometer — for the second consecutive day.
The incident occurred when Cummins delivered a short-of-a-length ball outside off. Smith attempted to pull but appeared to be early into the shot. Australia appealed for a catch behind, with Alex Carey taking a looping catch. On-field umpire Nitin Menon consulted square-leg umpire Ahsan Raza before sending the decision upstairs, initially to check whether the catch was clean.
However, once the third umpire Chris Gaffaney reviewed the footage, Snickometer showed a spike as the ball passed close to the toe-end of Smith’s bat — despite a visible gap between bat and ball on the broadcast angles. With Snicko indicating contact and the ball clearly carrying to Carey, Smith was given out caught behind.
The decision immediately sparked disbelief in the England camp. Both Jamie Smith and Ben Stokes were seen shaking their heads, clearly unconvinced by the outcome. Smith, in fact, appeared confident enough to review the decision had it been given on-field, suggesting he did not feel he had made contact. He eventually walked off shaking his head, while Stokes cut a visibly frustrated figure at the non-striker’s end.
Why this decision is controversial
The core of the controversy lies in the mismatch between visuals and audio — a familiar issue from Day 1 of the same Test.
Snickometer showed a spike near the bat, but slow-motion replays suggested daylight between bat and ball. The spike appeared to occur near the toe-end region, raising doubts over whether the sound came from bat, pad, or even equipment movement. With no UltraEdge corroboration beyond the spike itself, the decision hinged entirely on Snicko — a tool already under scrutiny in this match.
Context: Snicko already under fire
The controversy is amplified by what happened a day earlier, when Alex Carey survived a caught-behind appeal on 72. In that case, Snickometer showed a sound spike before the ball reached the bat. England reviewed, but third umpire Chris Gaffaney ruled there was no conclusive evidence of an edge due to misalignment between sound and visuals.
Subsequently, BBG Sports — the company responsible for Snickometer — admitted an operational error, revealing that the wrong stump microphone had been selected during Carey’s review. That admission significantly dented confidence in the system.
Why Smith’s dismissal will dominate discussions
Unlike Carey’s case, where the issue was dismissed as “inconclusive,” Smith’s dismissal went the opposite way — Snicko was trusted despite visual uncertainty. This inconsistency in interpretation is what frustrates players and fans alike.
The big talking point now is simple:
If Snicko was unreliable enough yesterday to save a batter, why was it decisive enough today to dismiss one — especially when visuals again raised doubts?
With temperatures soaring past 40°C and emotions running high in a crucial Ashes Test, technology — rather than cricketing skill — has once again taken centre stage. Expect strong reactions from England post-day, and renewed pressure on match officials and broadcasters to clarify how Snickometer decisions are being made.
For the second day running, DRS — not the scoreline — is shaping the narrative of this Test match.
