England could have been four down at close after Aussie debutant Michael Beer celebrated what he thought was his first Test wicket when Alastair Cook, then on 45, skied to Ben Hilfenhaus at deep mid-on only for umpire Billy Bowden to ask for the third umpire to check on a suspected no-ball
England could have been four down at close after Aussie debutant Michael Beer celebrated what he thought was his first Test wicket when Alastair Cook, then on 45, skied to Ben Hilfenhaus at deep mid-on only for umpire Billy Bowden to ask for the third umpire to check on a suspected no-ball.
At the close, England were 167 for three in reply to Australia's 280, with Cook unbeaten on 61 and James Anderson not out on one. Replays showed Beer had overstepped and Cook stayed.
"I think he (Beer) handled it very well in the end," Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson said.
"It was disappointing for him that he didn't get his first wicket. It would have been a good wicket to get, too, being Cook.
"I guess it can be frustrating. If the umpires know it's a no-ball, they should call it, instead of waiting to call it," said Johnson.
"Hopefully, we'll get a little bit of luck go our way as well. They had a bit of luck go their way, but that's the way cricket goes." he added.
It was the second time in the series that England have benefited from such a reprieve after Matt Prior was recalled following a slip catch in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Prior was on five at the time, and eventually scored 85. Australia did not let the Cook decision knock their concentration and removed the dangerous Pietersen, who failed to keep down a hook shot off a Johnson bouncer and was caught by Beer at deep backward square.
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