It's your wicket. Protect it.

You may be forgiven if during recent days the major cricket story has passed you by. Sandford 20/20 is over and we are all focusing on the next drama series involving the West Indies team, when they deal with Sri Lanka (see report).

Australia were playing India in a one day test in Brisbane, Australia, at the famous Gabba ground. The score is not important here. What was of interest was the unscheduled introduction of a "third man", so to speak; or was it a "long on"? A streaker (not the one pictured) decided to run across the field while Australia was batting. However, he ran towards the "non striker's end" (that's where the player who is not facing the balls--again, so to speak) stands. But this time, the man with the golden bun met something quite unexpected. For the squeamish, the sequence of still pictures in the UK's The Telegraph are really quite stunning (see images and report). For those who are really sensitive I suggest that you DO NOT watch the video below. Yer man was flattened by a shoulder charge from Andrew Symonds that any self-respecting fooballer or rugby player would want to copy. Budum! Splat! Kerplunk! Take that! Oh yea! Middle stump gone! Bails (or is it balls?) everywhere.



As Cricinfo says about Symonds: "Andrew Symonds brings gusto to whatever he does, whether firing down offbreaks or mediums, hurling his ungainly bulk round the field or vigorously ruffling the bowler's hair at the celebration of a wicket." Well, he did a bit of that. Now, Symonds has had a very torrid time in matches against India, especially in India where the crowds took to making racist monkey chants. This time, Symonds found that a good section of the Aussie press and public were aiming to bowl him out. For a short while there was speculation that the cricketer would face the prospect of sanction by the Australian cricketing authorities and possible prosecution. The International Cricket Council's Level 4.2 regulation covers "physical assault on another player, umpire, referee, official or spectator", but Symonds will not face a penalty from Cricket Australia.

Cricket used to be descirbed as a gentleman's game. The Australians have been criticized in recent years for the approach that they brought to the game. Some saw it as "too professional" (whatever that meant). Others did not like the apparent heavy emphasis on "winning at all costs" (professionals don't usually go far if they try to lose at all costs). Some of their onfield antics were reportedly not savoury. Many of their players are great athletes, that is clear. Many learned to play other very physical sports, such as rugby or Australian Rules football (played on a cricket field, with an oval rugby ball, and involves kicking the ball high and long, with goal posts at each end for targets). Symonds often epitomizes the Australian cricketer par excellence. Did he do wrong to deck the streaker? I don't think so. It's not clear what were guy's motives and he seemed to be running at Symonds. If I were the streaker I would be glad that with the little protection that I had--none--I did not get hit for six by Symonds' bat.