DRS bites Australia in Ashes as England opener Tammy Beaumont survives early appeal to post century

Australia have been left to rue a second day of DRS confusion, with England opener Tammy Beaumont surviving being caught in close before posting an Ashes century.

Beaumont went to stumps not out on 100 on Friday night, leading England’s fightback to 2-218 after Australia’s first-innings 473.

The innings made her only the second woman in history to hit centuries in all three international cricket formats, after her captain Heather Knight.

But the 32-year-old could easily have been out on 61, when she charged Alana King, hit the ball onto her toe and was caught at short leg by Phoebe Litchfield.

Australia appealed but were knocked back by umpire Anna Harris, without the decision going upstairs to see if the ball had hit the ground.

Australia’s allrounder Annabel Sutherland said the Aussies had considered reviewing but usually the on-field umpire will review potential bump balls

Australia also had the chance to review but did not, with most bump-ball calls usually referred by on-field umpires.

‘I knew I hit it, I knew it hit my foot, I didn’t know if it hit the floor as well,’ Beaumont said.

‘Not my decision to make. Not mine to overturn. It’s hard to tell when it’s hit your foot if it has hit the ground at the same time.’

Australia’s allrounder Annabel Sutherland, who struck an unbeaten 137 in the tourists’ first innings, said the visitors had considered reviewing.

‘It was spoken about, we went through our processes and got that one wrong, which happens,’ she said.

‘You miss a few every now and then.’

It is the second time in the first two days of the Test there has been confusion over the DRS, with England taking approximately 20 seconds to review a decision on Thursday that prompted Jess Jonassen’s dismissal.

England wicket keeper Amy Jones reacts as Australia batter Jess Jonassen is caught by Tammy Beaumont off the bowling of Sophie Ecclestone

Australia’s debutant  Phoebe Litchfield reacts after losing her wicket as England mount a comeback to the Aussie’s huge first innings total

Under ICC rules, teams have 15 seconds to launch a review once a decision is given not out.

But in that instance, the countdown did not immediately appear on the big screen and the review was not stopped.

Australia debutant Phoebe Litchfield also failed to review an lbw call when she was given out in the first session of the match for 23, before replays showed it was missing off stump and she would have been not out.

Still, there are worrying signs for Australia.

Their bowlers missed their lengths too often on Friday afternoon, after also being hit for 562 by England A in a warm-up match on a flat Leicester wicket last week.

‘I don’t think it’s a concern,’ Sutherland said.

‘That warm-up game was the perfect preparation for us. The wicket was pretty flat in Leicester and the bowlers toiled away really well.

‘We created seven chances today and I thought Kim Garth in particular was incredible. She was threatening all day and the spinners at the end then too.’