The umpires deliberated over one boundary call for just over a minute on day three of the fifth Ashes Test, leading leg-spin great Shane Warne to demand a change to the law book.
Marnus Labuschagne produced a mighty effort in a bid to stop a Rory Burns four at the leg-side boundary during the second session, but it was deemed the Australian had been making contact with the triangular pad as he brushed the ball back.
About 75 seconds had passed between Labuschagne crashing into the boundary and umpire Rod Tucker awarding Burns a four.
LIVE UPDATES: What Djokovic call means for Australian Open
LIVE UPDATES: England rattled in Hobart victory pursuit
READ MORE: Kohli quits as India’s Test captain
Law 19.4.2 in the Marylebone Cricket Club’s book states: “The ball in play is to be regarded as being grounded beyond the boundary if … a fielder, grounded beyond the boundary … touches the ball”.
The umpires’ drawn-out assessment of the Labuschagne attempt at Bellerive Oval prompted a spray from Warne.
“The rules should be simple,” Warne said on Fox Cricket.
“If the ball doesn’t touch the rope it’s not four. Simple as that.
“It stops all this. It saves all this time about looking … It would have been so much easier.
“‘Did the ball touch the rope? No. Let’s get on with it’.
“It saves so much time.”
Burns was dismissed for 26 runs two overs after the incident.
England are chasing 271 to win.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!