Trevor Chappell has some competition for the most controversial underarm throw in cricket history.
Just when you thought this Ashes series couldn’t get any spicier, Jonny Bairstow wandered out of his crease, Alex Carey threw down his stumps – and the cricket world erupted.
Despite Stuart Broad’s best attempts, this moment won’t be remembered in the same vein as Chappell’s infamous delivery against New Zealand in 1981.
Carey didn’t hesitate for a second after collecting the delivery from Cameron Green. The mode of dismissal – stumped – was all you needed to know when adjudicating the fairness of his actions.
But that didn’t stop Broad acting the brat when he replaced his wicketkeeper.
He was heard saying “that’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen in cricket” and telling Carey “that’s all you’ll be remembered for”.
The English quick then began playing up to a raucous Lord’s crowd, theatrically waiting in his crease at the end of overs to keep the English fans baying for blood.
Veteran cricket scribe Geoff Lemon described the crowd as “absolutely feral”.
Even the prim and proper tie-wearers in the members lost their composure, giving the Aussie players a serve as they walked through the Long Room at lunch.
It was no surprise to see David Warner dishing it back but when Usman Khawaja was taking issue it’s fair to assume someone had overstepped.
Unfortunately for the Poms they could barely find a single commentator to support them.
Former English captain Mike Atherton said: ““England have nothing to complain about, it was a dozy bit of cricket from Jonny Bairstow.”
Ricky Ponting received a text Simon Taufel, one of the greatest umpires to stand behind the stumps, who said the ball is only dead when both teams consider it such.
“That throw was on its way before he left his crease,” Glenn McGrath said on the BBC broadcast.
Former Aussie spinner Brad Hogg was one to side with the Poms, tweeting: “Not Out. Spirit of cricket pushed to the boundary. Not attempting a run, end of over, scratched crease then walked for the regulation BS chat between overs between batsman.”
Ben Stokes, who was at the other end at the time, went down a similar path.
“At the end of the day it’s out,” Stokes said after England fell 44 runs short of a miracle win. “If the shoe was on the other foot I would probably have to have a think about the whole spirit of the game part of it.”
But former England player Eoin Morgan said “I don’t see it compromising the spirit of the game” and if Stokes was serious surely Ben Duckett would have accepted Mitchell Starc’s claims for a catch at the end of day four.
