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'The catch was debatable, I just wasn't 100 per cent sure'
Kiwi middle order batsman Kane Williamson believes the umpires' decision to declare him not out, when Alviro Petersen had caught him during the last day of the final Test, was right, as the catch was 'debatable'.
Petersen had caught Williamson, when the score was 16 for two on the final day of the Wellington Test. However, neither of the on-field umpires, Aleem Dar and Richard Kettleborough, could decide if he was clearly out, and the matter was referred upstairs to Billy Doctrove.
The television replays were unconvincing, and allowed Williamson to bat on.
Sixty-nine overs later he was still there, having progressed from seven to 102 not out, and securing a memorable draw for his team in the process.
"I just wasn't 100 per cent sure, so naturally I thought I'd stay and obviously TV would be able to confirm whether it was out or not. I heard it was very close, so I'm sure Alviro thought he caught it too. So it's just one of those things, isn't it," Stuff.co.nz quoted Williamson, as saying.'That decision went against us'
South African captain Graeme Smith said letting Williamson bat again was the wrong decision, as generally field players are consulted in such cases.
Smith, who was fielding at first slip, said Petersen was very confident he had caught the ball before it hit the turf.
"The guys who were in the vicinity, at gully and slip, were pretty confident. But that decision went against us.Plaudits for Williamson
Meanwhile Williamson has received plaudits from his teammates, and also from the South African team after scoring a match saving century on the final day of the Wellington Test match.
Confronted by a South African attack that was firing on all cylinders, Williamson guided New Zealand to safety in one of the better rearguard test centuries in recent memory.
He survived a formidable assault from the world's most imposing pace battery, physically and verbally, shook off a catching controversy, and made the tourists pay for dropping him twice early on.
After toiling hard for 327 minutes and 228 balls, Williamson was unbroken, even if his protective box wasn't, which was split in half by a Dale Steyn rocket.
'It will go down as one of the gutsier innings'
Kiwi's stand in captain in Test, Brendon McCullum, hailed Williamson's brave innings.
"I'm not quite sure that Kane has realized what he has done just yet, but in terms of New Zealand cricket history it will go down as one of the gutsier innings, and one of the more gutsy fighting efforts on the last day against this sort of attack," Stuff.co.nz quoted McCullum, as saying.
Proteas captain, Graeme Smith also lauded Williamson's gutsy innings, as they tried their best to break him down.
"He [Williamson] stood his ground terrifically. We gave him everything. People will talk about the chances but that's part of batting. We threw a lot at him; he was very calm and I think it was a terrific knock and one for him will be a great stepping stone," Smith said.