England fury at Australia over Stokes dismissal
Tourists win but Lord’s in uproar over obstruction call
THE second one-day international at Lord’s descended into acrimony after Ben Stokes was controversially given out obstructing the field at a crucial stage of England’s run-chase.
As Lord’s reverberated to the sound of boos, the two captains — Eoin Morgan and Steve Smith — became involved in angry exchanges after Australia appealed for a dismissal rare enough to have previously occurred only six times in the history of international cricket.
Despite a late flourish from Morgan, who was last out for 85, England then fell away to hand the Australians a 2-0 lead in this five-match series. The mood in Manchester on Tuesday is likely to be acrimonious.
Stokes was on 10, and England were 141 for three in pursuit of 310, when Mitchell Starc fielded the ball of his own bowling and hurled it back towards the stumps.
The England all-rounder, who had advanced down the pitch, jerked his head out of the way and threw up his left hand, blocking the ball. The on-field umpires asked for a ruling from their TV colleague Joel Wilson, who decided there was enough evidence to give Stokes out according to the little-used Law 37.
The pertinent part of that law says a batsman will be out obstructing the field ‘if he wilfully strikes the ball with a hand not holding the bat, unless this is in order to avoid injury’.
Wilson — and Smith — clearly felt Stokes’ gesture was about protecting his wicket rather than his body, though there’s no doubt the slow-motion replay did not help the argument that the batsman had acted instinctively.
England, by contrast, were convinced Stokes was trying to get his hand in the way of a ball which, for a split second, he felt was zoning in on his head.
Seen in real time, it was a brave decision by Wilson to rule categorically that Stokes was trying to protect his stumps.
The dismissal was greeted with fury by a packed house at Lord’s, and England were yet to recover their cool when the out-of-form Jos Buttler was trapped leg-before on review by Glenn Maxwell for a duck.
Morgan, fighting a lone hand, survived a whack on the helmet from Pat Cummins, but — amid some towering blows of his own — watched a succession of partners come and go as Australia sealed a 64-run victory.
If they go 3-0 up at Old Trafford on Tuesday, it will take a little gloss off England’s Asheswinning summer. Earlier, the Australian innings had got off to a worrying start when Steven Finn broke David Warner’s left thumb with a snorter, ruling him out of the rest of the tour and calling into doubt his place on the forthcoming tour of Bangladesh. Finn then bowled Joe Burns for 22 in the ninth over, but a string of middle-order contributions, led by the inevitable Smith, ensured another healthy total to go with the 305 for six Australia posted at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday.
Smith evidently enjoys the city air. It was at Lord’s in July that he made 215 and 58 as Australia won the second Test, and he confirmed his liking for London with a superb 143 a few weeks later at The Oval.
Now Australia’s captain added 99 with George Bailey, who was bowled by a big-turning off-break in Moeen Ali’s first over. And Smith himself seemed on course for a third century of the summer in the capital before he skewed Adil Rashid to backward point for 70.
At 171 for three, with Warner injured, a quick wicket would have balanced things out. But, without the left-arm seam of David Willey, there was a sameness about the bowling line-up. Australia cashed in.
Maxwell biffed 49 from 38 balls, Shane Watson made a run-a-ball 39 — then failed to take the field because of a calf strain — before Mitchell Marsh applied the coup de grace with a brilliant 64 off 31.
Alex Hales fell for 18 in the sixth over of England’s reply, and it was 68 for two when Jason Roy was caught behind off the speedy Cummins for 31.
James Taylor, preferred at No3 to Moeen, rode his luck in a stand of 51 with his captain before he nibbled Marsh to Matthew Wade behind the stumps, but England were in with a shout when Starc hurled the ball back at Stokes.