Controversy erupts as Green dismissal overturned

Cameron Green further cemented himself in the Australian middle-order with a well-made 65 on day two of the third Test against South Africa, batting in a 126-run partnership with Matthew Renshaw.

But he was given a life earlier in the day, when the third umpire overturned a catch in the slips.

In the third over after lunch, Green – then on just 22 – tentatively pushed at a good length ball from Gerald Coetzee and succeeded only in getting an edge to Simon Harmer at slip.

The Proteas celebrated, but Green stood his ground. After a brief consultation, the on-field umpires sent it upstairs to third umpire Chris Gaffaney.

Replays from front-on appeared to show the ball touching the ground, but the side-on view was less conclusive.

Nevertheless, Gaffaney determined he had seen enough to rule in Green’s favour and flashed the green light on the big screen, triggering a round of boos.

"Well, well, when you looked at the replay from front on it might have caused some doubt, but looking from side-on, it looked like it had possibly gone straight into the fingers and then rolled up his hand," Natalie Germanos said in commentary for SuperSport.

"South Africa were convinced that was out."

And the Proteas had sympathy from legendary Aussie commentator Gerard Whateley on SEN.

"If I'm South African, I'm not rapt with that. It fits the definition of a catch, to my eye," he said.

The wicket would have left Australia teetering at 3-99. Instead, Green and Renshaw would put on a further 85 runs for the third wicket before Marco Jansen dismissed both in quick succession.

In a twist of irony, it was Harmer who took Green’s catch – a sharp chance at a wide slip. His reaction suggested he might not have cleanly picked up the ball off the bat.

Alex Carey and Josh Inglis would then put on 145 for the fifth wicket, and carry the Aussies to stumps at 4-330, with a lead of one run.