Player floored as Aussie game turns ugly

SYDNEY: A cricket match in Australia turned ugly when a batsman shoulder- barging a celebrating bowler knocked him over, sparking an on- field clash.

The incident, which went viral online, came just days after cricket’s law- makers, the Marylebone Cricket Club ( MCC), announced new rules to penalize bad on- field behavior.

Footage from the incident last weekend shows a paceman for Yackandandah in Victoria state running toward the Eskdale batsman after bowling him out.

The celebration was not appreciated, with the batsman dropping his shoulder into him, knocking him to the ground.

That prompted a fielder to charge at the batsman and push him over with fellow fielders rushing in to break up the melee.

“I understand people are passionate about their sport and where they come from — they look after their hometowns — but this is overstepping the mark, and it’s a big overstep,” chair of the regional Albury Wodonga cricket competition Michael Erdeljac told Win News television.

The bowler was slapped with a four- week suspension, while the batsman and fielder were banned until January next year.

The scuffle came after the MCC last week announced that umpires would soon be given powers to send players from the field — temporarily or permanently — for a range of onfield discretions including acts of violence.

Excessive appealing, showing dissent and intentionally making physical contact are among those offenses umpires will be able to penalize under a new Code of Law which will be issued this year.

At the umpires’ discretion, they will be empowered to issue warnings, award penalty runs and send players from the field for bad behavior.