With technology causing consternation in the Ashes series, here is the lowdown
on the four elements that cricket viewers, and players, have come to love
and hate.
Who provides the technology and what is its background?
Hawkeye: Hawkeye Innovations, based in Basingstoke and owned by Sony, was founded by Dr Paul Hawkins and first used by Channel 4 for its cricket broadcasting during the 2001 Ashes. It will now provide goal-line technology in football.
Hot Spot: BBG Sports, a company based in Melbourne, developed Hot Spot along with Sky Sports. It is also used in Australia, where cricket rights are owned by Channel 9. Four specialist cameras are used at each match at a cost of around £7,500 per day.
Audio: The audio is provided by the broadcasters and originates from sound picked up by microphones in the middle stumps at either end. It was originally invented as a broadcast tool but improvements in audio technology have seen it added to the DRS.
Snicko: Another tool provided by BBG and invented by English computer scientist Allan Plaskett. A new updated snicko is being trialled during the Ashes. Entitled Real Time Snicko it is quicker to process. At the moment snicko is not part of DRS due to the length of time it takes to match up the audio to the visual images.
Pros?
Hawkeye: Takes out the guess work for umpires by using up to seven cameras which track the ball from different angles. The video is then triangulated to create a 3d image and uses the same predictive technology utilised in the launch of rockets.
Hot Spot: It can prove if the ball has struck by the bat. Its thermal imaging detects heat which is caused by the friction between the ball and the bat. It can show up edges not audible.
Audio: Umpires can use sound if Hot Spot fails. By using ‘cricket sense’ and television images they can judge if the ball has hit the bat or bat has hit pad or the ground.
Snicko: The soundwave readout is analysed graphically once the moving image is matched with the audio picked up from the stump mics
Cons?
Hawkeye: It is predictive and there have been suggestions it is not accurate. It is not used unilaterally. There is a rival company, Virtual Eye which provides the technology in Australia.
Hot Spot: Sometimes fails to detect faint edges from fast bowlers due to lack of friction.
Audio: The stump mics pick up audio from batsmen, bowlers and fielders which can distort the sound of contact between bat and ball.
Snicko: It takes too long for the evidence to be collated in time for the DRS. Again, the sound can be distorted by other noises.
How big an impact has it had on this Ashes series?
Hawkeye: Unquestioned and used as normal by the 3rd umpires and players appear to have trust in its use.
Hot Spot: A technician’s error led to an apology from the ICC in the first Test and has subsequently been at the centre of other controversies when it has failed to detect edges.
Audio: Used by 3rd umpire as evidence for edges even though there has not been any Hotpsot marks.
Snicko: Nothing as it is only used by the broadcasters and not the 3rd umpire.
Will it remain part of DRS?
Hawkeye: Yes
Hot Spot: future will be discussed at an ICC meeting in September.
Audio: Yes
Snicko: The new real-time Snicko if it passes independent testing could be part of DRS by the next Ashes series.
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