David Warner was floored by a rare James Anderson beamer on day four of the fifth Ashes Test at the Kia Oval, which he somehow managed to guide through the slip cordon for a boundary.

On what was supposed to be the last ball of the 31st over of Australia’s run-chase of 384 in the fifth Ashes Test at the Kia Oval, Anderson bowled a high beamer aimed at Warner’s chest.

Beamers are always tough to face, more so if they are aimed directly at your body, and are bowled by one of the most accurate fast bowlers in world cricket who is not known for missing his lengths often.

Warner was naturally taken by surprise but was alert and quick enough to let his reflexes take over in an attempt to save himself and in the process ended up ramping the ball over the slip cordon for four.

He was heard screaming out “whoa” as he arched his back to play the ball and fell onto the pitch. Anderson was quick to raise his hand in apology, and Warner was quicker to raise his back in acknowledgement.

As he got up and walked up to his opening partner Usman Khawaja, Warner was seen mouthing “I thought it was the slower ball”, referring to the beamer. Ricky Ponting, who was in the commentary box but not on air at that instant, called out for a “free hit” in jest.

Both Warner and Khawaja remained unbeaten overnight on day four and were dismissed in quick succession on day five by Chris Woakes, but not before they registered a 140-run opening stand, the third-highest by Australia in an Ashes Test in England in the 21st century.

While it was a one-off over-the-waist full-toss by Anderson, there was some noise around whether it might have been a deliberate act of frustration after having been lofted over long-off two balls back, or whether it implied a declining lack of accuracy, something that has been Anderson’s biggest strength in his career.

Anderson has struggled so far in this series, having taken only five wickets from four games at an average of over 80 – his second-worst average in any Test series where he has bowled in more than one innings. This has resulted in several questions being raised on his future, and the beamer to Warner has only added fuel to the fire.

You can bet on the 2023 Ashes with our Match Centre partners, bet365.