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          Ben Stokes in no-ball drama with front-foot technology broken

          Ben Stokes was frustrated after overstepping Getty Images
          • Andrew McGlashan, Deputy editor, ESPNcricinfoDec 9, 2021, 04:32 AM ET
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              Deputy Editor Andrew arrived at ESPNcricinfo via Manchester and Cape Town, after finding the assistant editor at a weak moment as he watched England's batting collapse in the Newlands Test. Andrew began his cricket writing as a freelance covering Lancashire during 2004 when they were relegated in the County Championship. In fact, they were top of the table when he began reporting on them but things went dramatically downhill. He likes to let people know that he is a supporter of county cricket, a fact his colleagues will testify to and bemoan in equal quantities.

          Ben Stokes denied himself a wicket in his first over back in Test cricket when he bowled David Warner with a no-ball. It soon transpired that he had overstepped on the first three deliveries of the over as well - but a broken system meant they weren't called by the third umpire under the new protocols.

          It was later confirmed that the technology put in place to allow the TV official to monitor the frontline had gone down before the match started so this Test is being played under the previous playing conditions where only wicket-taking deliveries are checked. Host broadcaster Channel Seven later showed that in Stokes' first five overs there had been 14 no-balls with only one called on field.

          Warner was on 17 during the second morning when he played around a full delivery but Stokes almost aborted his celebration, as if fearing that he was over the front line. Shortly after the non-dismissal the host broadcasters replayed footage of the start of the over and Stokes had no-balled each time.

          England bowler coach Jon Lewis said after the day's play that it was frustrating that Stokes had not had the opportunity to adjust his delivery when he initially overstepped. It was the first time since an ODI in 2014 that Stokes at played at the Gabba.

          "Would be the first time he's run-up from that end for eight years so he'll need some feedback from the umpires as to understand where his feet are to then make an adjustment," Lewis said. "If you don't know where your feet are it's very hard. Would have been nice for the first no-ball to be called then he'd have made the adjustment and from there he would have been behind the line because he knows where his feet are landing."

          The ICC first trialled the use of the TV umpire monitoring the front line every delivery in 2019 and it was used for the first time in Test cricket when England played Pakistan in 2020.

          The ICC playing conditions for the World Test Championship state: "The third umpire shall review television replays of the bowler's front foot landing and, if he/she is satisfied that any of these three conditions have not been met, he/she shall immediately advise the bowler's end umpire who shall in turn immediately call and signal No-ball."

          Joe Root maintained a diplomatic stance when speaking briefly to Fox Cricket during the drinks break. "Slightly frustrating but we can't let that get to us," he said.

          This is Stokes' first Test match since March following his break from the game and he has had very little proper preparation leading into the series due to the poor weather in Brisbane.

          During the 2013-14 Ashes, Stokes was denied his first Test wicket when he had Brad Haddin caught behind off a no-ball in Adelaide.

          On England's tour of Sri Lanka in 2018, broadcasters counted as many as 12 no-balls missed by the umpires during one five-over spell. In the 2019-2020 Australia-Pakistan series, Channel Seven tallied up to 21 had been missed during two sessions on the second day in Brisbane.