Cricket may finally have solved its no-ball problem after confirmation the upcoming women’s Twenty20 World Cup will be the first tournament to feature front-foot technology. The third umpire will monitor the landing foot of bowlers after each ball at the tournament in Australia and communicate to their on-field counterparts whether it was a legal delivery. On-field umpires have been instructed by the International Cricket Council, which is satisfied with the standard of technology after recent trials in India and the West Indies, not to call any front-foot no-balls unless advised by their colleague in the box. David Warner and Ellyse Perry scoop Cricket Australia"s top awards Read more It had already been the norm for third umpires to check whether a bowler overstepped after a wicket, but not after every ball, and there has been a widespread push for the change in recent years. Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum called on cricket’s governing body to hand all front-foot calls to the third umpire in 2016, when Doug Bracewell was incorrectly no-balled after bowling Australia’s Adam Voges for seven. Voges went on to make a match-winning 239 in that Basin Reserve Test. Bowlers have also been miffed by how often they have been denied a wicket because a video replay picked up it was an illegal delivery, only to find umpires have missed a stack of preceding no-balls leading up to the dismissal. “No-balls are difficult for umpires to call accurately, and even though the percentage of deliveries that are no-balls is low, it is important to call them correctly,” ICC general manager of cricket Geoff Allardice said. “I’m confident that this technology will reduce the small number of front-foot no-ball errors at the ICC women’s T20 World Cup.” The technology was recently trialled during 12 games, with 4,717 deliveries bowled and all judged accurately. “Since we first trialled this concept in the ODI series between England and Pakistan in 2016 the technology has improved significantly, enabling us to introduce it cost-effectively, and with minimum impact on the flow of the game,” Allardice said. The women’s T20 World Cup starts on 21 February with a clash between Australia and India at Sydney Olympic Park. The final is on 8 March at the MCG. As 2020 begins… … we’re asking readers, like you, to make a new year contribution in support of the Guardian’s open, independent journalism. This has been a turbulent decade across the world – protest, populism, mass migration and the escalating climate crisis. The Guardian has been in every corner of the globe, reporting with tenacity, rigour and authority on the most critical events of our lifetimes. At a time when factual information is both scarcer and more essential than ever, we believe that each of us deserves access to accurate reporting with integrity at its heart. You’ve read 26 articles in the last four months. More people than ever before are reading and supporting our journalism, in more than 180 countries around the world. And this is only possible because we made a different choice: to keep our reporting open for all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay. We have upheld our editorial independence in the face of the disintegration of traditional media – with social platforms giving rise to misinformation, the seemingly unstoppable rise of big tech and independent voices being squashed by commercial ownership. The Guardian’s independence means we can set our own agenda and voice our own opinions. Our journalism is free from commercial and political bias – never influenced by billionaire owners or shareholders. This makes us different. It means we can challenge the powerful without fear and give a voice to those less heard. None of this would have been attainable without our readers’ generosity – your financial support has meant we can keep investigating, disentangling and interrogating. It has protected our independence, which has never been so critical. We are so grateful. As we enter a new decade, we need your support so we can keep delivering quality journalism that’s open and independent. And that is here for the long term. Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable. Support The Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.