Gus Atkinson had his second wicket of the first day's play struck off at Old Trafford today (August 21), due to a rare no ball for bowling too many bouncers in one over.
England were flying early in the first Test of the series against Sri Lanka, taking five wickets in the morning session after they were asked to field first. Atkinson got Dimuth Karunaratne with a vicious short-ball that just took his top edge and went through behind to Jamie Smith. When Atkinson was brought back on for the second over after Lunch, he went to the same plan of short-pitched aggression.
His second ball of the over was a bouncer to Prabath Jayasuriya, which was ducked. Atkinson then sent down another two short deliveries, the first of which reached Jayasuriya at head-height. With his fifth delivery, Jayasuriya was once again faced with a ball directed at his head, which he attempted to pull but gloved it straight to backward point.
As the England fielders celebrated and Jayasuriya walked off, the umpires decided to check the no ball on height just as Jayasuriya reached the edge of the rope.
Under the ICC playing conditions, clause 41.6.2 specify that "a bowler shall be limited to two fast short-pitched deliveries per over". Under these regulations, a 'fast short-pitched delivery' is defined as a "ball which passes or would have passed above the shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease.
The delivery which Jayasuriya had hit to point reached him at head height, the third delivery of the over which had been bowled on that length. Subsequently, the delivery was called a no ball and Jayasuriya walked back to the crease to continue his innings.
If Atkinson bowls three 'fast short-pitched deliveries' in a single over on two more occasions in the innings, he will be suspended from bowling for the remainder of the innings.
While Jayasuriya was given a second chance, it did not last long. Two balls later and off the final delivery of Atkinson's over, he got stuck on the back foot playing at a fuller ball, and nicked off to Smith. He had to walk the entire length of the distance to the boundary for the third time in three balls.
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