New Zealand cricket coach Mike Hesson defends his side's DRS misjudgment

After the first drawn Test against South Africa, New Zealand cricket coach Mike Hesson defended his team’s lapses of judgment. New Zealand missed a couple of opportunities to grab the advantage on the field through the DRS – decision review system in the first session of Day 4, but held parity with the visitors throughout.

The tourists survived two failed reviews, two dropped catches and one non-review that would have got them a wicket.

New Zealand recovered quickly to seize three wickets for 67 runs in the final session. Before rain washed out the last day, South Africa were left on 224 for six, a lead of 191 runs.

New Zealand suffered for their misjudgement on five occasions. And this was probably the first time in Test cricket that something like this was seen taking place.

1. In the 25^th over, a failed review from Trent Boult when a ball hit Jean-Paul Duminy’s pad, not the bat, on the way through to B-J Watling’s gloves. Duminy was on two.

2. Tom Latham dropped the first-slip catch off Boult in the 29th over, when Duminy was on six.

3. DRS was not opted for, when Jeetan Patel hit Duminy (20) on the back leg in the 38th over, and the ball tracker showed hitting the stumps.

4. An lbw review was taken against Duminy (20) in the 40th over, which was actually an inside edge hitting his pad.

5. Elgar (35) edged Jimmy Neesham in the 41st over. The ball however clipped Watling’s out-stretched glove.

Hesson, in defend of his team, was quoted saying, “Tom dropped one at first slip, but unless B-J grows another four inches, he’s never going to catch the one, which hit the end of his fingers. To consider there’s a whole heap is off the mark. Tom’s fielded at first slip in ODI and test cricket quite a lot, and been good”