The controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow during the Lord’s Test continues to be a hot topic in the aftermath of England’s second consecutive loss to Australia in the Ashes 2023 series. The stumped-out incident led to some booing from the English crowd towards the Aussie team. Additionally, Australian openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner were involved in an altercation with members of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in the Lord’s Long Room.
The incident happened in the 52nd over of the England’s second inningss on the final day of the second Ashes test. Bairstow, while facing a bouncer from Cameron Green on the last ball of the over, ducked under the delivery and started to leave his crease. Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey, quick to react, threw the ball towards the stumps and successfully hit them. The Australian team appealed for the dismissal, and after reviewing the footage, the third umpire ruled the 33-year-old out.
Although the dismissal was legal, a section of the cricket fraternity, mostly English fans, found it to be against the ‘Spirit of Cricket’. They felt Australia should’ve withdrawn the appeal because Bairstow wasn’t taking any advantage.
However, in a humorous twist, the official Twitter handle of the Victoria Police took the opportunity to thank the English wicketkeeper-batter for the wicket he gave away. Victoria is a Southeastern state in Australia. They playfully connected the stumping incident with traffic-light violations, sharing a snippet of the dismissal accompanied by an edited image of a traffic light. They also trolled the Metropolitan Police Service of London, tagging their account as the “grumpy Englishman” on the tweet.
“We’d like to thank Jonny Bairstow for reminding everyone about the dangers of stepping over the crease before you’re given the green light,” the Victoria Police tweeted.
We'd like to thank Jonny Bairstow for reminding everyone about the dangers of stepping over the crease before you're given the green light.
Check out our road safety tips ➡ https://t.co/1fSI5XpMMe then tag a grumpy Englishman (we'll go first @metpoliceuk) pic.twitter.com/tvyh511pLN
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) July 3, 2023
Speaking of the second Test, England fell short in their chase of a 371-run target, getting bowled out for 327 in the second innings. England captain Ben Stokes played an outstanding innings, launching a breathtaking assault and scoring a magnificent century (155 off 214 balls). However, Australia managed to overcome Stokes‘ heroics and secured a 43-run victory, extending their lead to 2-0 in the five-match series.
The Australian bowlers, including Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Cameron Green, played crucial roles in England’s second innings. Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood each claimed three wickets, while Green picked up one. With this win, Australia are now just one victory away from retaining the prestigious urn.
As the series progresses, England will need to regroup and perform exceptionally well if they wish to stage a comeback against Australia and reclaim the Ashes.
