Three times in this Test, Rudi Koertzen and Billy Doctrove have put their heads together for a decision, with lifetimes of experience behind them, and world-beating technology at their disposal. It has been as futile as a conversation between Vladimir and Estragon, and in each case has led to a complete balls-up. Today’s involved Phillip Hughes, who suffered today perhaps the only fate worse than his first-innings leg-side strangle: a first-slip catch that involved such a degree of doubt that no umpire should really have endorsed it, least of all the same officials who could not decide if Nathan Hauritz had yesterday pouched Ravi Bopara. Never mind Mitchell Johnson: Doctrove has the yips, and Koertzen yips on his yips, having failed also to spot the big Flintoff no-ball that accounted for Katich. I’ve had a pop at Ponting on previous occasions about his truculence where umpires are concerned. I dips me lid to him in this match: he displayed an existential resignation that suited the circumstances.

Others can debate the fairness or otherwise of the catch – and I’m sure will. One comment worth reiterating, which I also made at Cardiff, is that umpiring is influenced by the momentum of the match. Teams on top create more wicket-taking opportunities. They appeal with more confidence, a greater sense of entitlement, and with a home crowd behind them baying for justice must take a heart of stone to deny. Umpires have not the advantage of a hermetically sealed chamber in a secret location in which to pass their judgements – they are human beings susceptible to environmental influences. In Australia 30 months ago, Andrew Strauss was the hunted, Koertzen memorably firing him out twice at Perth. Now he is the hunter. Or at least, he will be until he faces the Australian media at the post-match press conference.

As for the umpires, how an Ashes Test at Lord’s came to be adjudicated by Koertzen, who brought us the fiasco at the conclusion of the 2007 World Cup, and Doctrove, the teflon man of the Oval Test of 2006, is a mystery not even Ajantha Mendis could have conjured.