There was a moment of controversy in the fourth day’s play between South Africa and England at Port Elizabeth when Pieter Malan was given out lbw to Joe Root, despite UltraEdge showing a spike as the ball passed the bat when the batsman reviewed the decision via DRS.

In the final over before tea, the part-time off-spinner got one to straighten, beating the opener’s forward prod and rapping him on the pad. Umpire Bruce Oxenford upheld England’s appeal, and after a chat with batting partner Faf du Plessis, seemingly about the length of the delivery rather than whether he had hit it, Malan chose to review.

At the point of impact, ball, bat and pad were all very close together, with bat marginally in front of pad. As the ball passed close to the bat, UltraEdge indicated there had been a sound, and SuperSport commentator Mike Haysman thought the decision would be overturned.

“Well that is showing a little bit of a heartbeat,” he said. “It is showing there is some bat involved right there, before it goes on. I can’t see anything else it could be, there’s no bat hitting the pad, there’s a bit of a gap, and there is a second heartbeat.”

TV umpire Joel Wilson clearly felt differently and, after judging the ball hadn’t hit the pad, asked to be shown HawkEye. When that showed the ball pitching and hitting the pad in line and projected it going on to hit the stumps, Malan was sent on his way.

Had Malan been given not out, and it was England who had reviewed, it would have been interesting to see what decision Wilson would have reached. As it is, Malan was given out on the field, and out he shall stay.

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International CricketSeries EditorialSouth Africa v England