Maia Bouchier almost added herself to the list of ignominious first deliveries in England overseas Ashes campaigns, but was saved as Megan Schutt was judged to have over-stepped - just.
While the incident didn’t occur on the very first ball of the series, as Stephen Harmison’s wide and Rory Burns’ bowled dismissals did, Bouchier in two minds over whether to leave her first delivery and playing onto the stumps still felt of a piece with those moments.
Schutt found significant inswing, prompting some indecision from Bouchier, but replays revealed her front foot had landed on the line, with no part of the heel behind the crease “by the barest of margins,” as the on-air commentator judged it.
To compound Australia’s woes, Bouchier crunched the free hit for four. However, she couldn’t make the most of her reprieve, Kim Garth moving the ball away to take the outside edge. Bouchier is the least experienced member of England’s top six, but Australia will still have been glad to see the back of her. She averages above 45 and strikes above 110 from 14 ODIs so far, and made a century on Test debut in her most recent international appearance.
There was more no-ball drama to follow, Tammy Beaumont negotiating a head-high beamer in Annabel Sutherland’s first over, as she and England captain Heather Knight took the score past 50 without further loss.
England are attempting to secure the Women’s Ashes for the first time since 2015, with hopes boosted by a drawn series last time out, in England in 2023. Then, the hosts lost the Test but won both white-ball series, the multi-format points score reading 8-8.
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