Warner's eventful 94 has Australia in the lead in 1st test

Brisbane: David Warner had a big reprieve off a no-ball, was dropped in the slips, was hit in the ribs and narrowly avoided being run out.

It was a tough way to reach 94, getting potentially within one shot of a 25th test century.

The veteran opener shared partnerships of 156 with Marnus Labsuchagne and 23 with Steve Smith to help give Australia a 46-run first innings lead in the first Ashes test against England.

He was still there when Australia reached 193-3 at tea on Day 2 in reply to England's 147.

Labuschagne was out for 74 in a rare bright spot for England left-arm spinner Jack Leach and Smith only added 12 before he was caught behind off fast bowler Mark Wood just before the interval.

Warner's survival and Ben Stokes' delivery stride were the two main talking points on Thursday.

Warner was on 17 when he was beaten by star allrounder Stokes, bowling his first over in a test match since March. But Warner was recalled when the third umpire checked TV replays and determined it was a no-ball.

TV broadcaster Channel 7 showed Stokes had also overstepped the crease on his previous three deliveries and not been called by the umpires. The Ashes broadcaster later revealed Stokes had overstepped the front crease 14 times in the opening session on Day 2 and had only been called twice for a no-ball.

Cricket Australia said a technology problem at the Gabba meant that the third umpire, Paul Wilson, couldn't review TV replays of every delivery to check if bowlers were over-stepping the crease, leaving it to the on-field umpires to make the calls.

Before a change in the rules last year, it was standard practice for on-field umpires to signal a no-ball immediately when a bowler over-stepped.

Stokes didn't bowl in the second session Thursday, when Australia added 80 runs for the loss of two wickets.

Warner had a run of chances. He was on 48 soon after the lunch interval when he edged Ollie Robinson to second slip, where Rory Burns put down a catch. He was on 60 when Haseeb Hameed bungled a run-out chance from close range with Warner scrambling to get back into his crease.

Labuschagne wasn't so lucky. After dominating the bowling attack and hitting six boundaries and two sixes off 116 balls, he played a loose cut shot to Leach and was caught at point by Wood.

Leach had been punished by the Australian batsmen in his first six overs but jagged an important wicket for England. He had figures of 1-62 from eight overs. Wood returned 1-35 off 13 and Robinson, who dismissed Marcus Harris (3) in the first session, had 1-30 off 14.