It all started when Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey controversially stumped England’s Jonny Bairstow, which led to charges of violating the “spirit of cricket” and a diplomatic controversy in which the prime leaders of both countries got involved.
“This is going to be wild,” Joel Guy, a cricket fan from Australia, said with a giggle as he entered the Headingley bear pit on Thursday for the next chapter of a tense Ashes series. From an hour before the start of the second Test at Lord’s on Sunday, England fans in Leeds, northern England, were ready to let Australia’s players know how they felt about the event that brought the good-natured series to a head.
It all started when Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey controversially stumped England’s Jonny Bairstow, which led to charges of violating the “spirit of cricket” and a diplomatic controversy in which the prime leaders of both countries got involved.
Despite Guy’s opinion that Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins was “pretty poor” in the event, he noted that there was “definitely some hypocrisy” on the part of England because Bairstow had previously done “something similar.”
Members of the MCC, who are known for their reserved nature, heckled the Australian players as they proceeded to the locker room after the incident. Headingley, on the other hand, is notorious for its rowdiness even on quiet days, especially on the Western Terrace.
Carey, who fooled Bairstow, is booed, getting England’s fans amped up.
Londoner Simon Woolrych, 56, arrived early to the stand but placed the blame for Sunday’s event squarely on the shoulders of Bairstow.
Nonetheless, “Australia lost out on a chance for greatness. He (Cummins) might have foregone the appeal, which would have made the game more exciting for everyone involved, he told AFP.
They’ve recently declared their Australian citizenship once more. The fans are pumped up, he said as others around him drank the first of several beers.
Olivia Turner, who was cheering for Australia and wearing green and gold to Lord’s, was likely to receive a lot of attention all day Thursday. She recalled that at Lord’s, “you were copping it a bit” while walking to the loo. There have been some comments made about us in the shirts, but it seems that we are in the safe zone.
It’s a natural progression. As for me, I’m prepared.
It’s all in good humor.
Half an hour before the game started, England fans gave the first indication of what was to come when they booed loudly and repeatedly when Carey’s name was announced. By choosing to bowl after winning the toss, England prevented the Western Terrace from booing the Australian players on the pitch.
According to 55-year-old John Staniforth: “We can still give Aussies stick if we want to, but it’s not all about giving Aussies stick, that’s only part of the fun.”
The home crowd quickly got to its feet as Australia’s opener David Warner was caught in the slips. Woolrych: “The first ball goes for four and it all looked worrying, then four balls later you are cheering “Cheerio,” You can’t ask for a better start.”
A calm fell as Australia, leading the best-of-five series 2-0, found their groove, but they were quickly re-energized by the appearance of fast bowler Mark Wood and his 95mph rockets.
Usman Khawaja’s sensational dismissal, courtesy of another Wood missile that smeared his stumps, sent England’s chief tormentor, Steve Smith, to the crease.
Smith is currently commemorating his 100th Test match, but the Western Terrace showed little respect for the milestone. When the star batsman came to the crease, they sang “We saw you crying on the table,” a reference to his now-famous press conference when he was removed as captain in the ball-tampering incident that rocked South Africa in 2018.
“I’ll clap him but hope he gets out for now,” jokingly said John Tough, a native of County Durham, northeast England.
Smith was out for 22 after being edged by Stuart Broad, so he didn’t get his wish. The Western Terrace chanted “Same old Aussies, always cheating” as Smith left the pitch after an unsuccessful review of the judgment.
“It’s hostile, but it’s cricket hostile,” Woolrych quipped. He continued, “It’s not exactly Millwall away,” referring to the English football team infamous for its hostile fans.
