Review anomaly has Cowie stumped

World umpires boss Doug Cowie has promised to look into an anomaly in the new decision review system that cost Pakistan one of their challenges in the second innings in Dunedin.

Pakistan challenged a declined leg before shout on Grant Elliott which replays indicated would have been overturned except that television umpire Rudi Koertzen spotted bowler Mohammad Asif had marginally overstepped the front line.

The point of the matter is that if on-field umpire Billy Doctrove had spotted the no-ball in the first instance Pakistan would never have appealed and would still have the challenge up their sleeve.

Teams are limited to two unsuccessful challenges per innings.

"We'll look into that one," a puzzled Cowie said. "It might be one of the things we fine tune when we look into the whole business later on."

Cowie denied the International Cricket Council had failed to consider the no-ball anomaly before introducing the DRS system.

"We did explore that idea about what happens in a no-ball situation. It's an interesting one, but I don't know how you get around it."

Elliott was on 12 when hit in front by Asif and went on to finish the fourth day of the first test unbeaten on 20.

Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf spoke to the umpires after the no-ball ruling but Cowie said the visitors had not lodged an appeal with the match officials.

Doctrove had an afternoon to forget.

In the space of an hour he gave Peter Fulton out leg before when he hit the ball, gave Tim McIntosh not out leg before which was overturned by a challenge, not to mention the double whammy with Elliott when he missed the no-ball and gave him not out.

Doctrove and the ICC were not the only ones caught out by the DRS yesterday.

Fulton failed to use a challenge when he was adjudged leg before to Umar Gul for a duck.

Fulton looked at his bat before slowly departing the ground but appeared to lack the confidence to use up one of New Zealand's appeals.

The hot spot technology later confirmed an inside edge onto his pad which would have resulted in him being reinstated at the crease.

- © Fairfax NZ News