Australia's cricket team was mired by another controversial moment on British soil on Wednesday after a star player was not given out in dubious circumstances.<br /><br />The Aussies, taking on Scotland in the first match of their T20 series, were 113-2 in the seventh over when Scottish spinner Mark Watt readied himself to bowl at batter Josh Inglis.<br /><br />However, instead of running up towards the crease, the bowler launched his trademark 24-yard delivery, named the 'long ball', in which he releases the ball from well behind the crease to surprise the batter. <br /><br />Inglis, who had taken guard for the delivery, pulled away as the ball bounced on the turf. The delivery went on to clip leg stump and the Scots strongly appealed for a dismissal.<br /><br />Yet umpire David McLean signaled 'dead ball', giving Inglis a lifeline. <br /><br />According to MCC Law 20.4, an umpire should call a dead ball if the batter had adequate reason for not being ready and made no attempt to play the delivery.<br /><br />Watt was denied a similar wicket at the T20 World Cup earlier this year when he dismissed Oman batter Khalid Kail with his 'long ball'. The umpire signaled 'dead ball' on that occasion too. <br /><br />'It's just trying to rush (the batters),' the 28-year-old has previously said when explaining his unique delivery.<br /><br />'By the time I've let it go, the batsman looks up and the ball's halfway down the wicket.'<br /><br />'(It's effective because) it's the element of surprise that he bowls it,' Scotland all-rounder Michael Leask said earlier this year.<br /><br />'It's also how good he is at holding his length, it still spins. It's just that fraction longer.<br /><br />'Man, it's horrible to face, even for us in the nets.<br /><br />'You know it's coming every two minutes. He does it a lot.'<br /><br />Australia won the match by seven wickets and Inglis finished the game unbeaten on 27 runs from 13 balls.
