The ongoing Ashes 2025 series in Australia has sparked fresh discussions about one of cricket’s most relied-upon technologies: the Snickometer. It was during the Adelaide Test that both England and Australia really started to question the reliability of this system. 

After the controversy surrounding Alex Carey, Jamie Smith’s innings also saw several decisions where the sound spikes either appeared too early or were just plain confusing. Even the players seemed unsure about whether to trust the technology, leading to exaggerated appeals and visible frustration on the field. When someone like Mitchell Starc openly declares, “Snicko needs to be sacked,” it points to a bigger issue and a growing lack of confidence. Technology in cricket is supposed to clear up doubts, not add to them. 

The Snickometer, often just called Snicko, is a piece of technology used in the Decision Review System (DRS) to determine if the ball has touched the bat or glove. It works by picking up audio signals from highly sensitive stump microphones. When the ball brushes against the bat, the system creates a soundwave. A sharp spike at the exact moment the ball makes contact is seen as proof of an edge. 

However, Snicko relies heavily on precise audio-video synchronization. If there’s not a perfect match between the sound spike and the ball hitting the bat, mistakes can happen and that’s exactly what occurred in the Adelaide Test. In Alex Carey’s case, there was a noticeable gap between the sound spike and the ball making contact, leading to a not-out decision despite a clear edge. This misjudgment allowed Australia to gain a significant advantage, much to England’s frustration. 

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UltraEdge is basically a more sophisticated and polished version of Snickometer. While it still relies on the same core idea of detecting sound spikes, UltraEdge has made some significant strides in software, audio filtering methods, and how the information is visually displayed. It effectively minimizes background noise and provides a more accurate synchronization between audio and video frames. 

Additionally, UltraEdge showcases the soundwave in a clearer manner, which helps umpires and viewers determine if a spike truly indicates bat-on-ball contact or if it’s just background noise, like the bat hitting the pad or the ball brushing against clothing. Nowadays, most international matches utilize UltraEdge, although Snicko is still in play for a few series, including the Ashes in 2025/26. 

In the meantime, England raised concerns that a Snickometer error cost them Alex Carey’s wicket in Adelaide. The technology provider, BBG, took full responsibility, acknowledging that it was an operator error. Furthermore, umpires reinstated England’s lost review, and the ECB is reportedly planning to address the matter with the ICC.