‘Pathetic’: Damning photo exposes unforgivable Ashes farce

The cricket world erupted when cameras captured a “pathetic” Ashes blunder that should never have been allowed to happen.

Ben Stokes bowled four straight no-balls. Photo: Kayo, Channel 7.

There was uproar when David Warner was given a life on day two of the first Ashes Test after Ben Stokes clean bowled the Aussie opener in his first over.

Warner was brought undone defending forward to a delivery that sailed between his bat and pad and edged onto his off stump during the opening session in Brisbane.

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Stokes was subdued in his celebrations and the on-field umpire immediately had a word with him to let him know the video umpire was checking for a front foot no-ball.

Replays showed Stokes had clearly overstepped the crease — meaning Warner would remain at the crease.

“Can you believe that,” Aussie Test legend Adam Gilchrist told Fox Cricket.

“We thought we saw some drama yesterday. How big a moment is that going to be?”

Warner was on 17 at the time and his dismissal would have left Australia 2/31.

That was just the beginning of the drama as Channel 7 analyst Trent Copeland exposed Stokes’ no-ball spree.

The English all-rounder was seen bowling four consecutive no-balls to start his first over of the Test with none of them being called by the third umpire.

It was only the wicket delivery, Stokes’ fourth ball — seen in the top left of the image below — that was reviewed and found to have been a no-ball.

As the following photo shows, Stokes got away with murder earlier in the over but because the front foot is checked for every wicket, his wicket-taking delivery to Warner was always going to get found out.

Ben Stokes bowled four straight no-balls. Photo: Kayo, Channel 7.

The blatant blunders of letting Stokes go unnoticed for his earlier no-balls led to outcry from cricket commentators about the on-field and video umpires failing to police the front foot.

Copeland suggested the on-field umpire should have been communicating with Stokes to let him know he was getting close to overstepping the crease.

Aussie Test legend Ricky Ponting was much more scathing.

“By the sounds of things they are not even looking at the front line,” he said.

“If someone upstairs is meant to be checking these, and they have not decided that any of those are a no-ball it is pathetic officiating as far as I’m concerned.

“I’m not sure what is happening.”

Former umpire Simon Taufel explained on Channel 7: “According to the playing conditions and the technology process … they are supposed to be checking every ball.

“The background to this a few years ago when England were playing in Sri Lanka, there were a number of no balls that were supposedly being missed. So they wanted to make sure every illegal ball from a front foot perspective was being checked and called and runs rewarded.”

Sports reporter James Mottershead tweeted: “Not calling the earlier ones is more of a disservice to Stokes and England as he couldn’t adjust before the wicket. Poor umpiring.”

Former Australian captain Lisa Sthalekar posted: “Oh dear. No doubt if the first few were called Stokes would have sorted it out and the wicket ball he may have been behind the line. Quite concerning really.”

Channel 7 in Australia showing that the first four balls of Stokes' opening over were ALL no-balls. Maybe if he'd been called earlier, Stokes would have adjusted before bowling Warner.

— John Etheridge (@JohnSunCricket) December 9, 2021