How many batters have survived due to no-balls in Ashes 2023 so far?

English pacer Chris Woakes almost missed out on a well-deserved fifer on Thursday, July 20, as his wicket of Australia's Josh Hazlewood in the fourth Ashes 2023 Test was adjudged a no-ball. Thankfully for him, he got the same batter caught at slips in the 91st over and ended the brilliant spell of 5/62.

However, that shouldn't hide both of these teams' no-ball problems. England and Australia have bowled scores of no-balls already and this was the third wicket that fell to an over-stepping in this Ashes.

Stuart Broad, who reached his 600th Test wicket recently, got Australia opener Usman Khawaja out off a no-ball on Day 2 of the first Test at Edgbaston. It was the 81st over and Broad castled Khawaja, who was batting at 112 (233), with a beauty. But the TV umpire informed the on-field umpires of the over-stepping immediately.

After the day's play, Broad stated that he had "no excuse" but asserted that it happened because he had to try too hard on a "pretty soulless" surface.

“It’s really frustrating,” Broad told the BBC’s Test Match Special. “I’m not really a big no-ball bowler. I have probably bowled more today than in a Test match day before. There’s no excuse. But it is the first innings of an Ashes Test match, you have some big emotions there so you are trying to gain energy from the surface and maybe pushing a little bit too hard. It is something to be aware of."

"It is a very slow, low surface that zaps the energy out of the ball," he added. "It is pretty characterless so far, pretty soulless, but you can only judge a surface towards the end of the match and see how it develops.”

Khawaja went on to score 141 and Australia eked a narrow two-wicket win to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

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Joe Root survived on a no-ball against Cameron Green

Cameron Green deprived himself of the best over of his career when he missed Joe Root's wicket because of an over-stepping. He bounced off Ollie Pope on the first ball of the 39th over. Root came on to bat and the Aussie tried the same plan.

The former England skipper played the first bouncer well but was early on the shot on the second and edged it to the wicketkeeper, silencing the packed Lord's stadium. But the crowd woke up again when the TV screens showed that Green over-stepped by a big margin.

It didn't hurt Australia much as Root got out for just 10, again falling to the short-ball, caught by Steve Smith at backward square off Mitchell Starc's bowling.