Ben Stokes has come under fire in the wake of his Herschelle Gibbs moment in the Fifth Ashes Test.
Before England secured a thrilling win, Stokes gave Steve Smith an extraordinary reprieve when he dropped the Aussie star while celebrating a catch midway through day five.
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England was desperate for a wicket as Australia took control of the run chase when Moeen Ali got one to turn sharply and take Steve Smith’s glove, flying high and wide to Stokes at leg slip.
Jumping up with his right arm outstretched over his head, Stokes took a smart catch to turn the game on its head. Or so he thought.
Elated with the dismissal of Australia’s talisman, Stokes instantly swung his arm around to throw the ball up in the air in celebration, only to hit his own thigh by accident and knock the ball out of his own hand.
Unfortunately for Stokes, Law 33.3 of the Laws of Cricket stood between him and Smith being sent on his merry way.
“The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his/her own movement,” state the Laws.
This is to say, Stokes needed to be in full control over the ball and his own movement – in inadvertently throwing the ball away, Stokes had robbed his nation of the crucial wicket of the best batter since Bradman, a victim of his own hubris.
It instantly brought to mind an iconic moment from the famous semi-final of the 1999 World Cup, when known premature celebrator, South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs, threw away a catch off the bat of Steve Waugh, only to be allegedly be told that he’d dropped the World Cup.
Mel Jones on commentary said Stokes had “dropped the Ashes”, in a reference to the incident.
But that was just the start of the drama.
Stokes was talked into reviewing the decision by his teammates despite showing the whole world he knew he’d dropped the ball with his facial expressions.
The catch was ruled not out in the first instance by field umpire Joel Wilson, although the basis for the decision (while immaterial for the purposes of whether or not a team can review or whether they lose a review), was unclear.
Replays would show that the ball clearly clipped Smith’s glove, and then that Stokes was never in control of both his movements and the ball, thus having not completed a legal catch.
Despite this, Stokes went to the lunch interval appearing to harangue the umpires over the lost review, sending social media into a frenzy given Stokes’ proselytisms over the course of the series on the vaunted spirit of cricket.
Stokes had no case for any complaints over the lost review, as former cricket journalist Brydon Coverdale noted on Twitter.
“There’s no question of England keeping the review,” Coverdale said.
“The ICC Test Playing Conditions are clear. There are only three situations in which a decision is upheld but you keep the review: umpire’s call LBWs; no-balls; and failures of technology.
“Stokes has no case to keep the review.”
Former Australian Test bowler Chadd Sayers was scathing in his assessment, saying it demonstrated a hypocrisy from Stokes and the English.
“How funny. Spirit of cricket when it’s on their terms,” Sayers said.
“Knew he dropped it and still went up for review …. Now arguing with (the umpires) walking off. Can’t have it both ways Stokesy!”
“Never looked like he controlled it in real time. He would’ve known it, and yet he still reviewed!” added sports journalist Ronny Lerner. “The captain of the country no less Piers Morgan!! Why I never!! What a scandal! Spirit of cricket has officially died old boy.”
“Look closely at his body language. Look at his eyes. He knew he dropped it. And still reviewed it,” tweeted the Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph. “Which is fine if you weren’t so smug about the spirit of the game the ENTIRE Ashes series.”
“The spirit of cricket is surrounding the umpire and yelling at him for the entire walk off the pitch for correctly applying the rules of the game,” added another popular cricket account on Twitter.
It wasn’t the only controversy on day five as Ricky Ponting called for an official investigation into a ball change that greatly benefited England.