It’s just not cricket, says Sinclair
Former Black Caps batsman Mathew Sinclair has slammed the unsporting actions of a lowgrade English cricketer and called for at least a one-game ban, following an incident remarkably similar to one he was involved in in his own career.
The Purnell Cricket Club is promising disciplinary action after an unsporting end to its Somerset league division two match against Minehead at the weekend.
A bowler, who the club have opted not to name, reportedly threw the ball over the rope for a no-ball six to end the game, when batsman Jay Darrell was on 95 not out, and in search of his maiden century, with his side requiring five runs to win.
For Sinclair, who represented New Zealand from 1999-2010, the episode – thanks to several mates tagging him in the story on Facebook – brought up a slew of memories from 1997, when he was denied his own century, playing for Central Districts against Northern Districts in Hamilton.
In a dead-rubber final-round Shell Trophy match, Sinclair was approaching his second first class ton when ND off-spinner Grant Bradburn bowled a leg-side wide which went for four, to hand the visitors a six-wicket win and leave the 21-year-old stranded on 99 not out.
It sparked fury amongst the CD team, who refused to shake the hand of Bradburn – who later claimed he was trying to achieve a leg-side stumping – and verbally abused him
Sinclair recalls the incident vividly, and says the overarching feeling at the time was ‘‘s..., did that really happen?’’
‘‘I know they had talked the over before as to a little bit of strategy,’’ he said. ‘‘I sort of walked off the ground thinking ‘Oh heck, is this what first-class cricket’s all about?’.’’
Sinclair went on to become Central’s highest-ever first class run-scorer, but said the incident would always be there and couldn’t disappear from history.
‘‘It comes down to the ethics, the culture, of how you want to be perceived as a team.
‘‘He was a Black Caps player, what are the youngsters thinking – ‘if it’s all right for him to do it, does that mean it’s alright for me to do it’?
‘‘But then you’re conversely thinking ‘well, it’s actually still in the rules of the game, like the underarm was’.’’
Bradburn – a future national team-mate of Sinclair’s – was fined $100 for the incident following under the grandstand. a code of conduct hearing.
Sinclair doesn’t believe a monetary fine is in order in this latest instance, as it involves amateurs, but hopes a dim view is taken.
‘‘I think harsh penalties need to be imposed, that’s going to stop it,’’ he said, ‘‘probably a ban of some sort, miss a game.’’
After retiring from domestic cricket in 2013, Sinclair now works as a real estate agent in Napier and is still well involved in the sport, coaching at club level, as well as a five-week stint with kids each year in India. So he’d like a precedent to be set to show the way.
‘‘I guess what it comes down to is the spirit of the game, I think that’s the big talking point here, isn’t it,’’ the 42-year-old said.
‘‘Would this have been done in the 1930s and 1940s? Hell no. So why is it starting to happen now?
‘‘Back then, when someone was getting a century you’d find the whole bloody team would be going up to the batsman and congratulating them.
‘‘You don’t get a heck of a lot of that nowadays.’’