Hughes is not a cheat, says Clarke

Clarke made his assertion after Phillip Hughes claimed a hotly-disputed catch as the Sydney Test match erupted in controversy.

Hughes claimed a catch at short-leg when Alastair Cook, on 99, played a delivery from left-arm spinner Michael Beer.

Television replays showed the ball clearly bounced into Hughes's hands, which the fielder appeared to realise only too well before mounting a loud and embarrassing appeal.

Cook was unfazed by Hughes's performance, going on to 189 – his third hundred of the series – as England made 488-7 in reply to Australia's first innings 280 on an engrossing third day.

Cook's score lifted his series tally to 766 – the second-highest by an England batsman in a Test series after Walter Hammond's 905 during the 1928-29 Ashes tour and the fifth-best aggregate in Ashes history.

Ian Bell was also at the centre of an unholy storm en route to 115 – his first Ashes hundred.

Bell was given out on 67 by umpire Aleem Dar, who adjudged him caught behind off Shane Watson.

Bell exercised his right to a television review and the decision was overturned when 'Hotspot' failed to provide evidence of an inside-edge.

But 'Snicko' – a less robust and slower scientific simulation – suggested too late there was an edge after all.

It was the incident involving Hughes that left the sourest taste, with former England all-rounder Sir Ian Botham branding Hughes a cheat during television commentary.

But Clarke leaped to the opening batsman's defence.

"I can guarantee one thing – Phillip Hughes is not a cheat, that's for sure," insisted Clarke.

"The end result was spot on. Hughesy wasn't sure; (wicketkeeper Brad) Haddin wasn't sure; we made it clear to the umpires; the umpires referred the catch, and it was the right result.

"I haven't seen the replay, but it must have come up clear that the ball actually bounced.

"But that's a bit harsh for Ian to say that about Phillip – he's not that sort of guy."

Cook, whose innings pointed England towards a 3-1 series win, has now scored more than 1,000 first-class runs since arriving in Australia.

Having started the tour under pressure for his place, he has answered his critics in emphatic style.

"I could only have dreamed about this six or seven weeks ago," admitted the Essex opener.

"I can't really believe what I've achieved and what this side have achieved.

"Six months ago, I couldn't hit the ball in the middle of the bat.

"But form comes and goes in professional sport, and you don't always know why."

Bell, who added 154 for the sixth-wicket with Cook, is another who has come of age during the current series.

The Warwickshire batsman has played consistently well throughout the tour, despite batting one place too low at No 6.

"To get a hundred against Australia means everything," said Bell, who has made 329 runs during the series at 65.80.

"I've had a pretty tough time against them over the years.

"Earlier in my career, I was pretty much outdone by the Australian bowlers, if truth be told. So it feels good to have got some runs against them this time around."

Bell claimed he did not know whether he had hit the ball after Watson located a faint inside-edge.

Clarke stressed he did not believe Bell was a cheat either, but the player's century was greeted by boos from the Australian crowd.

"Matt Prior (the non-striker) was pretty confident I didn't hit it, and that's why the review system's there," said Bell.

"I wasn't 100 per cent sure that I had or hadn't hit the ball.

"There possibly was a noise, but I didn't feel anything on the bat at the time.

"At the end of the day, it was just one of those things."

Legendary former umpire Dickie Bird believes such controversial incidents are set to continue.

The former Yorkshire batsman is an avowed opponent of the Decision Review System (DRS), which allows players to challenge the verdicts of on-field umpires.

"I'd get rid of technology like a shot," said Bird, who umpired 66 Tests and 69 one-day internationals.

"In my opinion, it undermines the umpire's authority and it's hardly infallible in any case.

"With the Bell incident yesterday, 'Snicko' was saying one thing and 'Hotspot' another, so what's the point of using technology?

"The situation is getting beyond a joke and I would only countenance technology for run-out decisions."

Bell, who shared a seventh-wicket stand of 107 with Prior (54 not out), also survived a tough caught-and-bowled chance on 84 off leg-spinner Steve Smith.

His 232-ball innings ended when he edged Mitchell Johnson to Clarke at first slip, while Cook fell to a catch in the gully by Mike Hussey off Watson.