Scotland spinner Mark Watt has been controversially denied a wicket after fooling Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis with a clever ball during the first T20 international at The Grange in Edinburgh.
In the seventh over with Australia sitting at 2-113, Inglis produced his trademark 24-yard ‘long ball’, which he bowls from well behind the crease.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Watt denied a wicket against Australia.
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Inglis, who was facing the first ball of his innings, took guard but then pulled away after the ball was released, which ended up clipping leg stump.
Watt appealed, but the umpire signalled a dead ball, much to the disbelief of the commentators and the crowd.
“This is going to be fascinating, batter is claiming he wasn’t ready … Mark Watt, he bowls this 25-yarders … I think we’re going to see this being allowed,” one commentator speculated.
“Been given as a dead ball, real moment of controversy there. It’s not going to change the result of the match, but why has that ball not been allowed to stand? When the ball is delivered, which is from in front of the umpire, he’s then pulled away.”
The other commentator was convinced it should have been out, saying, “He’s definitely looking up at Mark Watt, think that should be out, I’ll tell you that much, that should be out.”
In the MCC Laws, an umpire can call a dead ball if the batter makes no attempt to play a delivery and has a reason for not being ready.
The decision was later clarified as correct by MCC, but Inglis had appeared to be ready and watching when Watt bowled.
A similar incident happened later in the innings with Marcus Stoinis backing away and the umpire once again signalling a dead ball.
The incidents had no bearing on the result with Travis Head and Mitch Marsh clubbing a world record T20 international powerplay score with a brutal display of hitting to thrash Scotland with more than half their overs to spare.
Head made 80 in 25 balls and Marsh 39 in 12 as the pair racked up 113 in the six-over powerplay, surpassing the 102 made by South Africa against the West Indies last year.
That enabled Australia to overhaul the 9-154 Scotland had made in the first of three T20s at the Grange, Edinburgh, in 9.4 overs.
But the assault came after Jake Fraser-McGurk’s long-awaited debut had ended in failure, the young gun being caught for a third-ball duck holing out to mid-wicket.
Marsh prodded Brandon McMullen’s next ball just past gully’s outstretched right hand, but if that start gave Scotland hope of an upset it was swiftly dispelled.
Head took three boundaries off the next over, two fours and two sixes off the third, and two fours and a six off the fourth taking him to 47 off 16 balls.
At this point Marsh had made eight from five, now the skipper, standing in for the rested Pat Cummins, joined the fun. The fifth over he hit 6,6,4,6,4,4.
Next over, it was Head’s turn again. That went 4,6,4,4,4,4, in the process equalling Marcus Stoinis’ Australian record for the fastest T20i 50, reaching it off his 17th ball.
“Nice way to get underway,” said Head.
“I was a little nervous coming in, we’ve had a bit of a break, so nice for me and the captain to get some runs. That’s my role, to maximise the powerplay and I think we did that.”
That was it for a partnership that had sent the ball into neighbouring parks and tennis courts as Marsh was caught off the next delivery, bowled by Watt.
Head was caught in the same over but the contest was long done. Inglis (27 off 13) and Stoinis (eight off five) finished the match off.
Earlier, Australia’s pace bowlers, inexperienced at international level, adapted swiftly to conditions to put the brakes on the home side who had raced to 1-46 after five overs after being sent in to bat.
Bowling into the pitch, taking pace off and using cutters they squeezed the run-rate.
Sean Abbott, called into the squad when Spencer Johnson was ruled out, took 3-39, though Xavier Bartlett was the pick with 2-23 from his four overs.
Adam Zampa (2-33) and Riley Meredith (2-34) also delivered their full complement while Cam Green (1-12) and Stoinis (0-10) shared a quota.
Bartlett made an early breakthrough when Oli Hairs miscued a pull and was caught by Marsh.
But with George Munsey clearing the ropes three times Scotland were eyeing a challenging score when Inglis took a superb flying catch off Abbott to dismiss him for 28 off 25 and Bartlett picked up Brandon McMullen (19 off 22), caught by debutant Fraser Jake-McGurk.
Thereafter wickets fell regularly.
“In a three -match tournament it’s very important to win the first game,” said Marsh. “I thought all-round we had a great start to the series.”
This is the first of 11 matches with Australia subsequently facing England in three T20s and five ODIs.
– With AAP