England batsman Alastair Cook has come out in support of Phillip Hughes who was accused of attempting to cheat Cook out of his third century of the series at the final Sydney Ashes Test yesterday
England batsman Alastair Cook has come out in support of Phillip Hughes who was accused of attempting to cheat Cook out of his third century of the series at the final Sydney Ashes Test yesterday.
English Test great Ian Botham, commentating on television, called close-in fielder Hughes a cheat for claiming a catch that was subsequently proved to have hit the ground just in front of his hands when Cook was on 99. Cook went on to make 189 in England's 488 for seven.
"To be fair to Phil Hughes (he) said straight away that he wasn't sure (of the catch)," said Cook.
"I obviously was going to hang around on 99, you're not going to walk off too quickly, you have to be dragged off. "He said he wasn't sure, they went upstairs and I think the right decision was made."
Cook, who has been a chief beneficiary of technology decisions during the series, said the right decisions had been reached.
"At the end of the day the right decision was made on all of them," he said.
"At the moment I'm thinking it's looking after me, but I'm sure there will be another time where I am given not out, it is referred and you then have to walk off and that's when you have to take your medicine, you then can't complain about it. "I think some times you get a little bit lucky along the way and little things have gone my way on this trip and I'm really grateful for that."
It was Cook's second close shave of his innings ufffd both off debutant spinner Michael Beer, who celebrated what he thought was his first Test wicket late on Tuesday when Cook, then on 46, skied to Ben Hilfenhaus at deep mid-on only for the umpire to ask for the third umpire to check on a suspected no-ball. Replays showed Beer had overstepped and Cook stayed.
