Bowler fumes, crowd boos as bowled Aussie given not-out

Josh Inglis was given a controversial reprieve for a first-ball “brain freeze” in Australia’s massive seven-wicket win over Scotland in the first T20 in Edinburgh.

Inglis came to the crease at 2-113 in the seventh over after Travis Head and Mitch Marsh belted a world record 113 from the power play.

Facing his first ball, Inglis backed away from spinner Mark Watt’s “long ball” well after he had let go of the ball. It then clipped his leg stump.

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But instead of trudging back to the pavilion for a golden duck, Inglis was allowed to stay when the umpire declared dead ball, much to Watt’s bemusement.

In commentary, Preston Mommsen said it was a “slight brain freeze” from Inglis to pull away as late as he did.

“The unexpected nature of the delivery coming from 23, 24 yards. He’s a very lucky man to still be there,” the former Scotland captain said.

Alongside him, Irish analyst and commentator Andrew Leonard had little doubt Inglis should’ve been given his marching orders, but acknowledged it was unlikely to have changed the result of the match.

“Inglis has puled away saying he wasn’t ready … I think that should be out, I’ll tell you that much,” he said.

“It’s bowled him. A real moment of controversy here. It’s not going to change the result of the match, but why has that been allowed to stand?

“The batter never pulled away (until after the ball was bowled), and it’s clipped the top of leg stump. Surely, Mark Watt should be two in two balls. For me, that’s cut and dry.

“He’s clearly looked up, he might not be fully ready, but when the ball is delivered which is from in front of the umpire, he’s then pulled away.

“Inglis was in position – he may not have been ready in terms of his own processes – but he was clearly looking at Mark Watt. He was possibly expecting him to take three or four more steps, which he didn’t.”

Watt’s long balls are delivered from well behind the popping crease. He used the delivery to great effect in the T20 World Cup, and it’s become something of a trademark.

A combination of the extended flight of the ball, which is still travelling towards the batter at the same speed, and the fact Watt is still able to generate spin makes it a tricky delivery to score off.

There was further controversy in Watt’s next over, when Marcus Stoinis did the same thing – although this time the ball missed the stumps – prompting a chorus of boos from the crowd.

Mommsen in commentary suggested it appeared to be a pre-determined tactic from the Aussies to back away from long balls.

Inglis went on to make 27 not-out off 13 balls as the Aussies recorded a huge seven wicket victory in less than 10 overs.

Earlier, Jake Fraser-McGurk on his T20I debut was out for a third ball duck when he holed out to mid-wicket in the first over.

It brought the Aussie skipper to the crease, who had a stroke of luck from his first ball when a thick edge flew just wide of gully to the boundary.

That was as good as it got for the Scottish bowlers. Having finished the first over at 1-5, Head and Marsh then combined to belt 23 boundaries – 16 fours and seven sixes – from the next five overs, including 14 in a row to the end of the sixth over.

Watt claimed both scalps in the seventh over – Marsh for 39 from 12 and Head for 80 from 25.

Three wickets to Sean Abbott, two each for Adam Zampa and Xavier Bartlett, and one each for Riley Meredith and Cameron Green helped restrict the hosts to 9-154 from their 20 overs.

The final two matches of the series will be played on Friday and Saturday nights (AEST), with play to begin at 11pm both nights.