The third Test of the Ashes 2025-26 at Adelaide Oval was affected by a major technology controversy on the opening day, after the Snicko operator admitted responsibility for an error that allowed Australia’s Alex Carey to survive a caught-behind review. The incident, which occurred when Carey was batting on 72, triggered debate around the effectiveness of sound-based edge detection technology and led England to consider whether to raise a formal complaint with match officials.
The moment took place
early in the afternoon session when Carey tried to hit a delivery from Josh Tongue. England’s wicketkeeper Jamie Smith immediately appealed for a catch behind. On-field umpire Ahsan Raza gave it not out, leading England to review. Replays showed a clear spike on the Real-Time Snickometer, the system used in Australia, but the spike appeared three to four frames before the ball passed the bat.
Third umpire Chris Gaffaney ruled that the spike occurred before the bat and upheld the on-field decision, citing a visible gap between bat and ball. The decision shocked players, commentators, and fans alike, especially after Carey himself later admitted he thought he had edged the ball.
England were convinced that Alex Carey was gone, but what's your take here?#Ashes | #DRSChallenge | @Westpac pic.twitter.com/g7bp7ptQXO
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2025
BBG Sports takes full responsibility for the error: Warren Brennan
Founder of BBG Sports, Warren Brennan, the company that supplies Snicko in Australia, later confirmed that the error came from incorrect audio selection. He stated that the Snicko operator had likely chosen the wrong stump microphone, causing the audio spike to appear out of sync with the visuals.
"Given that Alex Carey admitted he had hit the ball in question, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this, is that the Snicko operator at the time must have selected the incorrect stump mic for audio processing. In light of this, BBG Sports takes full responsibility for the error," BBG told BBC Sport.
Meanwhile, the Australian wicketkeeper-batter admitted he heard a noise as the ball passed the bat and stated the replay looked a bit funny. While stressing that he is clearly not a walker, Carey conceded that luck had gone his way and that the technology didn’t line up on this occasion.
Former ICC umpire Simon Taufel also suggested the technology calibration was at fault. He said his experience told him Carey had hit the ball and that such an early spike without contact was highly unusual.
The reprieve proved costly for England. Carey went on to add 34 more runs before eventually being dismissed for 106, completing a maiden Ashes century. His knock anchored Australia’s innings, which finished Day 1 on 326 for 8 after opting to bat first. Usman Khawaja contributed an 82, while Jofra Archer was the pick of the England bowlers.
