Hooligans reach heart of gentleman's game

It was only a matter of time before hooliganism reached the heart of the gentleman's game.

Saturday was that time and Michael Bevan the victim, a full beer-can thrown by a spectator crashing into his right cheekbone following Australia's victory over Pakistan in a one-day match at Lord's.

The incident, branded a "cowardly act" by Australia captain Steve Waugh, may well prove the final straw and lead directly to a change in the way the sport is run in England.

Saturday's events, coming on top of earlier crowd trouble during the one-day triangular series, will only strengthen calls from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the immediate introduction of tough legal penalties for unruly behaviour at cricket grounds.

For years, Waugh has been warning that cricket could find itself saddled with a tragedy unless its administrators began taking player security seriously.

English cricket, however, has continued to trust in its traditions of polite clapping over tea and cucumber sandwiches.

Until now, that is.

STUMPS STOLEN

Things began to get out of hand at Edgbaston in the first match of the triangular series when Pakistan captain Waqar Younis had to plead with his supporters to leave the field after they had rushed onto the pitch and stolen the stumps with England on the brink of defeat.

Those excesses were put down to over-enthusiasm until the teams met again at Headingley. This time a steward ended up in hospital, with England conceding the game in an attempt to avoid further trouble.

Then Australia walked off the field at Trent Bridge when Pakistan supporters let off fireworks, scattering people in the stands before one live firecraker was thrown at fielder Brett Lee. That game, too, was followed by a pitch invasion, delayed only a short while by plastic fencing held up by stewards.

ECB chief executive Tim Lamb admitted afterwards that, with hindsight, they had perhaps underestimated the mounting problems.

Pakistan coach Richard Pybus, meanwhile, likening the Trent Bridge incidents to football hooliganism, had responded: "I was dismayed by the raw aggression of some people trying to get on the field."

While he stressed English cricket should work to include all racial groups in its future, so that young Asians did not feel disenfranchised, he added: "Trent Bridge wasn't about cricket. These are not cricket fans -- they're coming to cause mischief."

EXTRA POLICE

One person caused it again at Lord's, despite the drafting-in of extra police and stewards, and body-searches at the gates of cricket's headquarters.

It could, according to Bevan, have been much worse.

"It could have hit my eye, nose or mouth, so I was lucky... The person must have known he could have done something serious."

The incidents of the past month are not unique, of course.

Waugh first talked of someone being killed one day in 1999, during his team's tour of the West Indies. Spectators started hurling bottles onto the Bridgetown pitch in Barbados after the controversial run-out of Sherwin Campbell.

They were only mollified when Waugh, after discussions with local police over his players' safety, agreed to allow Campbell to be re-instated.

There was also the infamous 1996 World Cup semifinal at Calcutta's Eden Gardens, when match referee Clive Lloyd awarded the game to Sri Lanka after Indian supporters began rioting as their team headed for certain defeat.

But perhaps the game is now getting the audience it deserves.

Last year's match-fixing scandal surely suggested one thing above all others - that this is now a game peopled in some parts at least by players rather than gentlemen.

List of some recent outbreaks of crowd trouble at cricket matches:

March 1996, Calcutta, India:

Sri Lanka were awarded the 1996 World Cup semifinal against India by match referee Clive Lloyd after fans rioted just before the end, with India on 120 for eight chasing 252 to win.

Plastic bottles, fruit and stones were thrown onto the field, forcing the Sri Lankans to huddle in the middle of the pitch for safety, while fires were started in the stands. 100,000 watched the game. Effigies of India captain Mohammad Azharuddin were burnt in the streets after the game.

Feb 1998, Wellington, New Zealand:

Stuart Law was hit in the face by a full sauce bottle as Australia completed a 66-run win over New Zealand in a one-day match. The 12,000 crowd throw fruit, bottles and golf balls on to the pitch. Steve Waugh was reported as saying: "Monica Seles got stabbed and there was a lot of security around her. In cricket people have a free rein at you all the time."

Feb 1999, Calcutta, India:

Pakistan's win over India in the Asian test championship followed crowd trouble over the final two days at Eden Gardens.

Some of the 91,000 fans at the ground threw bottles and fruit onto the pitch, chanting "cheats, cheats!" after Sachin Tendulkar was controversially run out on the fourth day.

Tendulkar appeared to ground his bat before accidentally running into Shoaib Akhtar, lifting his bat after the collision only for his wicket to be broken.

That incident led to an hour's delay. The trouble continued the next day, leading to baton-wielding police clearing the ground of around 50,000 spectators after a three hour, 20 minute delay, leaving Pakistan to complete a 46-run win in a near-empty stadium.

April 1999, Georgetown, Guyana:

Match referee Raman Subba Row declared the fifth one-dayer between West Indies and Australia a tie after spectators invaded the pitch in the closing moments, preventing Australia's last pair from scoring a third run to level the scores.

Steve Waugh and partner Shane Warne were going for the third run needed to tie the game off the final ball when the crowd ran on and stole the stumps, preventing Keith Arthurton from trying to complete a run-out. The result was not announced at the ground to ensure the Australians could leave in safety.

April 99, Bridgetown, Barbados:

West Indies beat Australia to level the one-day international series 3-3, but only after Steve Waugh agreed to re-instate Sherwin Campbell after his run-out started a riot.

Bottles rained on to the pitch, one just missing Waugh's head as his team ran off the field.

Campbell was run out after a collision with bowler Brendon Julian in mid-pitch. Waugh said he agreed to re-instate the batsman after local police advised him that his players' safety could not be guaranteed.

June 2001, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England:

Waqar Younis pleaded with hundreds of Pakistan fans who invaded the pitch as his team was about to complete a 108-run win over England in a triangular tournament also involving Australia. The fans invaded the pitch and stole the stumps, then refused to vacate the pitch for half-an-hour with Pakistan still needing one wicket to win.

June 2001, Headingley, Leeds, England:

England captain Alec Stewart, his team four runs away from certain defeat, conceded the match after a premature pitch invasion by Pakistan supporters ended with a steward needing hospital treatment. The incident overshadowed Waqar Younis's seven for 36, the second-best bowling performance in one-day international history.

June 2001, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England:

Australian captain Steve Waugh led his side off after fireworks sent fans scurrying in all directions in a stand before a live firecracker was thrown near fielder Brett Lee. The Australians returned to the middle after 20 minutes.

June 2001, Lord's, England:

Australian all-rounder Michael Bevan was hit in the face by a full can of beer after his side routed Pakistan by nine wickets in the final of a one-day triangular series. The missile was hurled by an unidentified spectator as the crowd watched the trophy presentation on the pavilion balcony.

Mail Cricket Editor