Police break up Ashes revelry
Footage has emerged of ‘‘intoxicated’’ Australian players in baggy greens and England cricketers being asked by police to go to bed at 6am on Monday morning after a noise complaint, following the final day of the fifth Ashes test in Hobart and a night of partying.
Mobile phone footage, obtained by the and
shows four police officers arrive to speak to Australian players Nathan Lyon, Travis Head and Alex Carey, as well as England captain Joe Root and pace bowler Jimmy Anderson. Other unidentified individuals are present at the gathering.
‘‘Too loud,’’ a female officer is heard saying to the group. ‘‘You have obviously been asked to pack up, so we’ve been asked to come. Time for bed. Thank you. They just want to pack up.’’
English media reported the voice behind the camera appears to be that of 52-year-old England batting coach Graham Thorpe, the former test batter.
Cricket Australia is aware of the video.
Australia and England both stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hobart, and a number of hotel staff are also seen in the video. Beer bottles and a Red Bull can are on the table.
The Australian and England players, unwinding after a long series, left the outdoor area straight away when asked by police. ‘‘No worries,’’ says Lyon in the video.
In a statement the
and Tasmania Police said officers were called after a complaint regarding ‘‘intoxicated’’ individuals.
‘‘Tasmania Police attended the Crowne Plaza Hobart on Monday morning after reports were made of intoxicated people in a function area,’’ the statement read. ‘‘The guests were spoken to by police, just after 6:00am, and left the area when asked.
‘‘No further action will be taken by police.’’
Crowne Plaza Hobart general manager Linda Collins said a noise complaint had been made from outside the hotel regarding the drinking session on the hotel’s fourth floor.
She stressed that Lyon, Carey and Head, as well as others in the footage, had not done anything wrong and weren’t ordered to leave by her staff, despite police saying they had already been asked to move on.
‘‘To the best of my knowledge there was some noise complaints from outside,’’ Ms Collins told the
and
‘‘We’re in the middle of the city and there is noise and other things. We get all sorts of random things and police will turn up.
‘‘There was nothing untoward. No one was removed from the hotel. It’s not uncommon to get people complaining about noise.’’
Asked why hotel staff were present, Ms Collins said: ‘‘I think they were actually just trying to get ready for breakfast the next day. That’s all it was.
‘‘Everything has been pretty smooth sailing and we were happy for Hobart to have the cricket down here and have the teams down here.’’
It is unclear what time the players were moved on but clearly had hoped to stick around for a few more drinks after a test in which Australia defeated England by 146 runs to wrap up a 4-0 series win.
The teams had finished playing in the fifth Ashes test at Blundstone Arena late on Sunday evening, given it was a day-night
test match.
Both teams were still tied up with formalities until close to midnight at the ground.
The Australian team continued the party on Monday by drinking at a Hobart pub and singing songs with the Barmy Army, according to social media posts.