Swann regrets Doctrove error

Graeme Swann has expressed his regret that Mike Hussey was erroneously given out to him on the fourth day of the Lord’s Test.

The England bowler’s vicious turning delivery appeared to take the edge of Hussey’s bat before Paul Collingwood took a sharp catch at slip, but replays showed the Australian No.4 did not hit the ball and the sound heard was instead his bat hitting the ground.

The England off-spinner insists at the time there was no doubt in his mind, nor the England fielders, that Hussey had nicked the ball to slip and was surprised to find television replays show otherwise.

“As far as I was concerned, it pitched, it turned, big nick and it went to slip,” Swann said.

“If it didn’t flick his edge I feel sorry for Mike Hussey because he’s a mate of mine and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. It’s a bit of bad fortune.

“There were no qualms from anyone in the middle. We just assumed it’s a regulation snick to slip but these things sometimes happen.”

The two players became friends when they played county cricket at Northamptonshire and Swann claimed it was his brother who gave Hussey his nickname of ‘Mr Cricket’.

Swann’s wickets of Hussey and Marcus North seemed to have set up an England victory before Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin put on a stand of 185 to leave the game in the balance at stumps.

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