Jon Lewis: Umpires should have warned Ben Stokes about over-stepping

The England allrounder dismissed David Warner for 17 only for the Australia opener to be recalled because of a front foot no-ball. It later transpired that all three of his previous deliveries had seen him overstep

England’s fast bowling coach, Jon Lewis, has suggested the umpires should have warned Ben Stokes he was over-stepping before he bowled David Warner with what turned out to be a no-ball.

Warner was on 17 when Stokes, with the fourth delivery of his first over, produced a beauty which hit the batter’s off stump. But TV replays subsequently showed Stokes had overstepped and Warner was recalled. He went on to make 94.

England appeared to feel aggrieved, however, after it transpired that all three of Stokes’ deliveries before then had also seen him overstep. But with the technology that usually monitors that front line unavailable over the first couple of days of this match due to a malfunction, the decision had been made to only check deliveries where a wicket had fallen. Both sides were notified of this ahead of the game.

England felt the on-field umpires should still have kept an eye on the popping crease, however, and called Stokes for no-ball earlier in the over. Had they done so, he would have known to adjust where his feet were landing.

Lewis also made the point that Stokes has very little experience of playing in Brisbane – his only previous international match on the ground was an ODI in 2014 – and that in England, he would have benefited from pre-match bowl-throughs on the edge of the square.

^{Jack Leach (right) also had a rough day with the ball, conceding 95 runs from his 11 overs [Chris Hyde/Getty Images]}

"What a fast bowler needs is some sort of understanding of where their feet are because obviously you can't see your own feet," Lewis said after play. "So, if the umpires are watching the line, then after the first ball – that’s Ben’s first ball on this ground for eight years – [they could have told him].

"In England we have bowl-throughs in the morning. We don't have them on the square in Australia so it’ll be the first time he’s run up from that end in eight years.

"So he will need some feedback from the umpires to understand where his feet are and to then make an adjustment. If you don't know where your feet are it’s very hard to make an adjustment.

"It would have been nice for the first no-ball to be called so he could have made an adjustment. From then on, he would have been behind the line because he knows where his feet are."

The ICC introduced the protocol of the TV umpire checking each delivery for over-stepping at the start of 2020 as a reaction to just such a problem. Modern umpires, struggling to adjust to the pace of the contemporary game, had struggled to adjust their focus from the popping crease to the batter for some time. In the circumstances, though, England’s fielders – the mid-on and mid-off, in particular – could have been charged with keeping an eye on the bowlers’ front feet.

Lewis praised England’s frontline bowlers but admitted they could "have been a bit more consistent." And while reserving special praise for Ollie Robinson, who claimed three wickets, he also backed Jack Leach, who was plundered for 95 in 11 overs, to "come back strong."

"I thought our bowlers did some really good stuff but if you were going to be critical you would say we could have been a bit more consistent," Lewis said. "Every time Robinson had the ball in his hand, he was a threat.

"I don’t think we’re a seamer light. If we’d all bowled to the best of our ability, we would have put Australia under more pressure.

"It wouldn’t be one of Leach’s best days. It will be a day he wants to put the back of his memory. But I know that Jack's a pretty resilient fella. And there's only days gone in the Test match. We're definitely not defeated yet.

"I'd expect Jack to come back strong again tomorrow and show the character that I know he has. There’s a lot more cricket to be played so."

^{Ollie Robinson took 3 for 48 but limped off the field in the late afternoon [Chris Hyde/Getty Images]}

Meanwhile Robinson provided reassurance about his fitness. He was seen to limp off the pitch at one stage in late afternoon but confirmed there was no serious injury.

"My body is doing OK," he said. "I came off for some strapping and maintenance but I'll rest up tonight and come back tomorrow.

"It came out well today. I was consistent and had a lot of plays and misses. I sort of felt like I was going to get Warner out every over. He left well at times but there were times when I thought he was going to nick it.

"I've not really played anywhere like this. It definitely helped [having spent time playing Grade cricket in Australia previously]. Whenever you can come over here and learn to bowl with the Kookaburra ball, it definitely helped me today and hopefully for the rest of the series."

England later confirmed that Stokes had sustained an injury to his left knee. The severity is currently unclear.

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