David Warner silences edge sceptics after controversial dismissal

David Warner is fighting for his Test cricket survival. So the last thing he needed was a rough decision. But the Australian opener admits he wasn’t hard done by despite uncertainty surrounding the dismissal.

David Warner failed again at The Oval. Picture: Getty Images

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David Warner has shut down social media conspiracy theories by owning up to nicking behind after his latest Ashes failure divided opinion around the cricket world and handed him an unwanted record.

The contentious dismissal, for 5, handed Warner an eighth single figure score for the series as he became the first opener in history to do so.

After ending a run of three-straight ducks, Warner was left to rue his luck on day two at the Oval after being given out caught behind off Jofra Archer.

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Warner was adjudged to have edged this Jofra Archer delivery, but did the umpires get it right? Picture: Getty Images

He was initially given not out by umpire Marais Erasmus but that was overturned on review, with UltraEdge registering a small spike as the ball passed the bat – though all other replays appeared to show there was no nick.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was stunned at the technological intervention, while images circulating on social media, of when UltraEdge picked up a noise, showed a shadow on the pitch which suggested there was a gap between bat and ball.

“I honestly don’t think he’s hit it,” Vaughan said in commentary.

“I know the UltraEdge shows it but when you see the actual replays it looks to me like it’s not near the bat.

Have to hit it to be out! pic.twitter.com/8V0XNqOLUq

— Ryan Harris (@r_harris413) September 13, 2019

“I don’t think technology has been at its best in this series.”

Vaughan reasoned that noise could’ve been made by the batsman’s spikes scratching the pitch.

But Warner came clean to teammates, as revealed by Test great Ricky Ponting, that he leathered the ball to England keeper Jonny Bairstow as he added another page to his hellish tour.

David Warner departs for five. He has become the first player in history to record single figure scores in eight consecutive innings in a Test series. Picture: Getty Images

The formerly prolific run scorer has posted a mere 84 runs from nine innings at the abysmal average of 9.33 and would need a remarkable turnaround to avoid the unwanted record of registering the fewest runs ever by an Australian opener in a five-Test series.

Jim Burke holds that record currently, with 199 runs from ten innings against England in Australia, while on English soil John Dyson’s 206 in the 1981 series is the lowest.

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Warner is a long way off reaching either, with just one knock remaining on his tour.

Despite the controversy over the decision, Australian star Steve Smith said he had full confidence in the technology used in the series.

“Anything you’ve got there that can help umpires ultimately get the right decision. I think that’s beneficial,” Smith said.

“In regards to this instance, I don’t really know what happened there. It looked from the eye that there was a little bit of a gap between bat and ball.

“But the spike comes up and that’s it. It was unfortunate.”