Feature

A ridiculous review and a ridiculously good catch

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the first ODI between West Indies and Australia in St Vincent

Brydon Coverdale
Brydon Coverdale
16-Mar-2012
Xavier Doherty's first over went for 18  •  AFP

Xavier Doherty's first over went for 18  •  AFP

The catch
Kieron Pollard didn't distinguish himself with the bat in this game but he certainly did in the field. For a big man, Pollard is incredibly agile and he thrilled the Arnos Vale crowd when he hurled himself low and to his left at cover to take an outstanding one-handed catch to remove David Warner off the bowling of Marlon Samuels. Pollard celebrated his success by taking off towards the outfield and lapping up the applause, and the adulation of his team-mates.
The arrival
The debutant Johnson Charles showed few nerves in his first over of one-day international batting. He was facing Brett Lee with the new ball and decided the best way to score his first runs was just to go for it, and he slapped Lee dismissively through midwicket for a boundary from the fourth ball he faced. That was followed two more fours in the next over from Clint McKay but his display was short-lived as he was caught at third man for 13.
The over
Australia didn't hit it a six in their innings, so Xavier Doherty must have wondered what was going on as he was mercilessly struck for three in his first over. Samuels defended the first two balls from Doherty and clearly liked what he had seen, for the next ball was deposited over long-off. The over finished with two more sixes down the ground, and Doherty could only smile in amazement as he walked back to his fielding position to reassess his methods.
The ridiculous review
That teams are only allowed one incorrect review per innings in ODIs has not yet eradicated the frivolous referral. Shane Watson was lbw to Dwayne Bravo in the eighth over of the match and he asked for a review of the umpire Peter Nero's decision. Replays showed he was about as plumb as could be, and the Australians were left without any reviews up their sleeves for the remaining 42 overs. Perhaps after a summer spent without the DRS at home against India they were a little rusty on its use.
The non-appeal
An over-the-top appeal might not convince an umpire to raise his finger, but a half-hearted one nearly always persuades him to keep his hands down. So it was when Kemar Roach fired in an accurate yorker to George Bailey in the 47th over of Australia's innings. The ball struck Bailey on the foot and in front of the stumps, but none of the West Indies were particularly enthusiastic in their appeal and the batsman survived. Replays showed he was plumb.

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here