Another umpiring howler has overshadowed Adelaide's two-run victory over winless Brisbane in the Big Bash League.
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The Heat slumped to their third loss from three games this summer despite a tremendous effort by stand-in captain Jimmy Peirson who scored 69 off 36 deliveries but could not get the hosts to their target of 151.
Instead, the Strikers held on to defend their 6-150 total with the Heat finishing on 9-148 in reply.
Peirson was thrust into the captaincy role after talisman Chris Lynn missed the game following a hamstring injury in the warm-up.
The talking point from the night however was the latest umpiring shocker in the tournament, with Heat batsman Tom Cooper given out lbw despite clearly edging the ball.
Umpire Tony Wilds dismissed a bewildered Cooper after the batsman had attempted a switch hit off the bowling of Danny Briggs, with replays on the Gabba big screen showing the obvious error and leaving Heat fans incredulous.
The decision is sure to prompt more calls for a review system to be introduced in the tournament after several obvious errors this summer.
Peirson joined the chorus, feeling the decision had been hugely influential given how close the Heat got to their target.
"It is a hard job. It really is. I couldn't be an umpire, that's for sure," Peirson said.
"But there have been a couple in the last two games we've seen that have been pretty obvious, I thought, and at big moments.
"If Coops bats through there it's a different story."
Briggs, who was the pick of the Strikers' attack with 3-20, also felt the time had come to introduce a review system.
"It's probably something that's got to be on the way," the Englishman said.
"It takes pressure off umpires really, they can afford to get one wrong and that's only natural that they do get one wrong.
"Things happen quickly in 2020, so yeah maybe the time has come."
The controversy could not hide the Heat's woes though as they slumped to 8-68 in reply to the Strikers' 6-150.
Peirson's quickfire knock nearly delivered an unlikely victory but, needing 13 off the final over, the Heat batsman three times turned down a run and was unable to score a six off the last ball to take the match into a super-over.
The Strikers also suffered an injury blow with Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan (2-30) limping off late with an apparent hamstring problem.
Adelaide will be hoping to have Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey and quick Harry Conway back in their team for Monday's clash with Perth at the Adelaide Oval.
Carey and Conway failed to beat border closures due to NSW's COVID outbreak and had to miss Wednesday's match.
The Heat's next game is against Hobart at the Gabba on Sunday.
Australian Associated Press
