Drama ensued on the final day of the fifth and final Ashes 2025-26 Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) as another controversial snicker decision left England and Ben Stokes fuming and reignited the growing debate over the use of technology in the game of cricket.
Snicko shows furious scenes at SCG amid brouhaha between Ben Stokes and England
Chasing Australia’s target of 160, England thought they had found an early breakthrough when Brydon Carse delivered a quicker ball to Jake Weatherald. The English players were confident that the ball touched the bat and went to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
However, on-field umpire Ahsan Raza did not lift a finger, forcing Stokes to go for review. When replays were shown, a slight but obvious spike was seen on the snicker as the ball passed the bat. Every replay shown on the big screen during the New Year Test at the SCG sparked excitement among the England supporters in the crowd.
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However, those cheers soon turned into loud noises when the third umpire did not overturn the decision, giving Wetherald life in the final Ashes Test. The call provoked an angry response from Carse. He went straight to umpire Raza and placed his hand on the umpire’s shoulder, expressing his disappointment.
Stokes steps in, Carse loses control in furious Ashes clash
Realizing that the situation could worsen, Stokes immediately stepped in and pushed Carse away before having a conversation with the on-field umpire. However, the tension did not stop there, as Carse exchanged heated words with Weatherold after completing the final ball of his over at the SCG.
As he went back to his mark, the England pacer also collided with Travis Head, adding more fuel to an already furious moment. Due to these actions, Carse may now face investigation from ICC match referee Jeff Crowe, particularly for making contact with both the head and the umpire.
The incident was the latest in an Ashes series where Snicko’s technique made headlines for its errors. Both Australian and English players have openly shown frustration at the way the system has worked during the Ashes, with the third Test in Adelaide becoming a major talking point.
In that match, a glaring error was made when Alex Carey was not given out on 72 despite the ball taking an edge. Carey scored a century and after the match, the company responsible for Snicko took full responsibility, admitting that it was due to human error.
The Ashes are over, but Ben Stokes’ tough stance sparks snicko debate
At the time, Stokes admitted that the match officials were only following existing guidelines. However, Wetherold’s decision left the England captain confused and disappointed, especially as the spike on the snicker was obvious to many.
The England captain strongly stressed the need for continuity and supported the idea that the same techniques should be used everywhere in world cricket. He felt that such situations should not occur frequently and questioned why different standards existed in different countries and series.
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In the post-match press conference, Ben Stokes said, “I thought it was out. There was noise, a frame after the ball passed the bat it clearly crossed the bat… so it should have been given out. Where has the consistency gone? I don’t understand it. Why don’t we use the same technique around the world?”
Why different rules everywhere?
Stokes also clarified that these decisions were not the reason for England losing the Ashes 4–1, but pointed out that the issue keeps coming up again and again, creating unnecessary controversy.
He concluded by saying, “Things like this shouldn’t be talked about, because that’s not the reason why we lost.” [the series] 4-1, but the fact that it keeps coming up…something needs to be done about it. Just use the same technology everywhere so that we don’t have to sit here and talk.
“It’s here, I thought it was outside.”
England captain Ben Stokes is pushing for the DRS debate after the controversial Jake Weatherald decision. #ash pic.twitter.com/SYhvnF1zXW
– cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) 8 January 2026