When Challenging Becomes Dangerous

CA to investigate farcical finish to one-day match.

Australian Associated Press.

Monday, 16 October 2017.

PTG 2276-11516.

Cricket Australia (CA) will investigate the abandonment of NSW's one-day match with Victoria on Sunday amid a call to sack the officials involved in the match.  A dangerous pitch, which was declared midway through the second innings of the day, led to the fixture being awarded to Victoria via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Officials discussed the issue for more than 90 minutes following the match before match referee Daryl Harper declared Victoria would be awarded a run-rate bonus point.  It prompted an angry response from Cricket NSW chief executive Andrew Jones, who denied conditions had changed so considerably to be deemed unsafe since the NSW batted in the first innings.

CA has also decided against shifting Western Australia's match with the CA XI at North Sydney to an alternate venue following Sunday's abandonment.  "Cricket Australia will conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances around this abandonment ... and will revert to the teams with those findings”, said a CA spokesman.  "At this stage, a different wicket will be used for the next match on Tuesday and CA will monitor conditions”.

On Sunday, Victoria reached 4/108 after 26 overs in their pursuit of 145 when umpires John Ward and Phillip Gillespie called the game off.  That decision ended NSW's finals hopes and but ensured Victoria will join Western Australia and South Australia in the finals unless Tasmania manage to collect two bonus points in a big win over Queensland on Tuesday.

Jones said via ’Twitter’: "That is a ridiculous decision and the umps should be held accountable.  So pitch was safe when [NSW] batted? Makes no sense. All officials involved should be fired immediately.  It should be a No Result. Conditions didn't change all game so if it was dangerous for one side it was dangerous for the other”.

"This is right up there with declaring BISP (Blacktown International Sports Park) pitch dangerous right after highest batting partnership in history of [first class] cricket”.  Jones was referring to a game between New Zealand and a CA XI two years ago that was abandoned after a record opening stand between Ryan Carters and Aaron Finch (PTG 1676-8226, 31 October 2015).

Teenage umpire allegedly ‘headbutted’ at U-11 match.

Aneeka Simonis.

Melbourne Herald Sun.

Monday, 16 October 2017.

PTG 2276-11517.

A cricket club president has spoken out after a teenager was allegedly assaulted by a senior spectator while umpiring a Western Regional Junior Cricket Association (WRJCA) match on the weekend.   It is claimed the boy was headbutted during the Under-11s match between Sunshine and Caroline Springs junior cricket clubs on the outskirts of Melbourne on Friday night.

Witnesses claimed the umpire was attacked after he told a group of senior spectators they could not drink at the junior game.  Caroline Springs Cricket Club president Steve Collins confirmed the incident.  He wrote on the club’s Facebook page: “During an Under-11 game one of our junior members was assaulted whilst working as an umpire.  This incident is now in the police hands and all members involved and the club are supporting the police with these matters.  We would also like to thank the parents that were present at the incident for remaining calm and ensuring the safety of our junior players”.

There are reports the alleged assailant was a senior player from Sunshine Cricket Club, and that he was allowed to play in a match the following day.

Victoria Police confirmed a 15-year-old boy was assaulted at a cricket ground in Sunshine North on Friday night.  He was taken to hospital as a precaution.  Police have interviewed several witnesses and are yet to make any arrests.  The WRJCA has been contacted for comment.