McCullum stays as gales blow technology away

First test, New Zealand v Australia

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CRAIG SIMCOX/Dominion Post Zoom

CASTLED: Chris Martin is clean bowled by Mitchell Johnson to end New Zealand's innings on the fifth day of the first cricket test in Wellington.

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Mother Nature trumped cutting-edge technology at a windswept Basin Reserve today, coming not a moment too soon to help New Zealand's hopes in the first cricket test.

Host broadcaster Sky Television, which uses the Virtual Eye replay technology to show whether a delivery would have hit the stumps, could not provide a replay for third umpire Aleem Dar as 130kmh winds buffeted the camera tower at the southern end of the ground in Wellington.

It came at a crucial stage with New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum on 52 and his team 284 for five, still 18 runs short of making Australia bat again.

McCullum offered no shot to spinner Nathan Hauritz, whose turning delivery appeared stump-bound; on-field umpire Asad Rauf said 'not out' and Australian captain Ricky Ponting challenged under the umpire decision review system - which saw Ross Taylor removed for 25 yesterday.

But after a delay of up to eight minutes, no replays showing the predicted path of the delivery were beamed to the third umpire's box or to television viewers, even if later whispers from the commentary box suggested replays may have shown the ball hitting the stumps.

Dar had no evidence to over-rule the original decision so it stood, leaving Ponting remonstrating with Rauf and fellow umpire Ian Gould.

The only consolation for Ponting was that Australia didn't lose a challenge, but McCullum carried on merrily to end the day 94 not out with New Zealand 369 for six.

Sky's executive producer cricket, James Cameron, said the wind made it impossible to get an accurate reading through Dunedin company Virtual Eye which also produced America's Cup yacht tracking technology.

"The ball-tracking cameras were blown so badly by the winds, which are upwards of 130kmh, that it could not successfully track the ball through the air. I doubt any system would," he said.

"I have a team of guys working on behalf of Virtual Eye. They're operating the system and when they do not get sufficient data from the cameras in a case like this then they'll let us know that the reading's no good and we can't run with it."

The Basin Reserve is known for buffeting winds and in past years a sightscreen has collapsed and cameramen on the southern tower have been ordered down.

Cameron said his three cameramen in the southern tower today were harnessed in place and struggled to keep their feet.

Match referee Javagal Srinath, of India, said the replay situation couldn't be avoided.

"It was a very, very unusual day," he said.

Hauritz was confident he had McCullum's wicket but the freakish weather left him philosophical.

"I thought it was really close, that's why I was confident with the appeal, when a batsman doesn't offer a shot and it's spinning back into the stumps I thought it was real close," he said.

"You can't do much about it. I would have loved to have seen what (Virtual Eye) said, it probably would have said it was just clipping off but I guess the benefit of the doubt goes to the batsman."

- NZPA