COACH RAISES DOUBTS ON SOFT APPROACH

REPRIEVE: Devon Conway escaped after the umpire’s soft signal was not out

ENGLAND have questioned the need for on-field umpires to get involved in their version of VAR when it comes to low catches. Stuart Broad was left raging about a catch that was not given when Zak Crawley made the low grab in the slips and bowling coach Jon Lewis has questioned the need for a ‘soft signal’ before sending the decision upstairs. “It is the way sport goes and the decision didn’t go our way,” said Lewis, with New Zealand trailing by 74 runs and seven wickets remaining.

“The question is whether the soft signal is really required or could the guy off the field make the decision?

“It is one that New Zealand will be happy with and one we’re frustrated with.

“Stuart is pretty grumpy, as you can see on the field. He is a real competitor.

Broady was outstanding. He hasn’t taken the wickets he has deserved this summer but he put in a real shift for the team.”

The decision allowed Devon Conway to move on from 22 to make 80 and put New Zealand on course for a first-innings lead.

And although the Kiwi batsman admitted he was not sure it carried, he is happy for the technology to take control.

“It was a tricky period when that happened,” said Conway. “I nicked it and looked back but wasn’t 100 per cent sure if it did carry.

“So I stood there to wait and see if the umpire was going to give me out. Fortunately the ruling went my way. I’m pretty grateful it perhaps bounced in front of the fielder.

“For the umpire to give a definite answer straight away is probably tough on the human eye.

“We’ve got technology to prove whether guys catch it or if it dropped short, why not use the technology if we have it?”