Cricket Australia responds after fan refused entry for wearing an Imran Khan T-shirt in honour of the jailed Pakistan great
Updated ,first published
The controversial injury substitution rule helped Victoria take control of the Sheffield Shield final on a day of drama at the Junction Oval.
South Australia coach and Australian great Ryan Harris described it as a “shitty rule” but added that they were looking to take advantage of it.
Victoria, who were in trouble midway through the third day on Saturday, left the defending champions hanging by snagging five wickets after tea.
SA led 5-94 in their second innings, leading by just 31 overall with two days remaining. They need to win the final to compete back-to-back for the first time.
After Victoria were dismissed for 261 in the first innings, paceman Sam Elliott limped off with a hamstring injury while warming up during the break.
This led to confusion that lasted for several minutes; Victoria named Mitch Perry as an injury substitute and Perry hurried to the net to warm up, but was told he could not do so under regulation provisions.
Victorian assistant coach Ben Rohrer was then refused permission to take to the field by the referees until Perry was ready to take the field, meaning they had to scramble to find a suitable player.
When Perry was finally taken to bowl, he trapped SA captain Nathan McSweeney in his first over, leaving them in disarray at 3-35.
“It’s always frustrating when it’s against you. So it’s a shitty rule unless you make the most of it,” Harris said.
“Having said that, we can do the same; we are allowed to do the same until the end of the game.
“I’m an old-fashioned Test cricketer, you get injured and you bowl.
“But in saying that, what happened today is the norm. I don’t know if it’s true or not, it’s not for me to say.”
Harris also stated that the rule applies for this Shield season and that they are considering bringing in Wes Agar as their own tactical sub-unit, which is available to them once Perry is activated.
Adding to the drama, Perry had been dropped from the Victoria’s Shield final squad to make way for Elliott.
“After about two and a half tries, I was pretty done,” Perry said.
“It was a bit of a shock to the system.”
SA needs a miracle now; Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey is not far behind on 24 and Shield player of the season Liam Scott is on two.
“We’ve got to make sure we try to make the most of it tomorrow and get as much as we can… and defend it like it’s literally the end of our lives,” Harris said.
“We’re just fighting our asses off.”
Victoria captain Will Sutherland capped off a perfect day when he edged out Jason Sangha for 34 points.
Fergus O’Neill and Sutherland led Victoria’s recovery after lunch, seizing SA’s momentum and taking a lead of 63 in the first innings.
O’Neill achieved his fourth first-class 50, top-scoring with an unbeaten 64 from 134 balls with seven fours.
Victoria reached lunch at 5-150 after play was delayed for more than an hour due to rain at Junction Oval on Saturday morning.
He got the better of Scott before Marcus Harris increased his score and went 40 points behind.
This left Victoria on the brink at 6-157 in reply to SA’s 198.
But O’Neill and Sutherland got Victoria out of trouble with a 55-run stand.
Sutherland, who took four wickets in SA’s first innings, scored 34 from 57 balls. The Victorian captain gave them the lead with a six-pointer from Jordan Buckingham.
—Roger Vaughan, AAP
Can Australia’s next opener please stand up? Bowlers dominate Shield final
Andrew Wu
There were two national selectors in Friday’s Sheffield Shield final. The information they collect will not take them any closer to finding solutions to Australia’s most pressing batting problems.
Victoria, who are 4-110 in reply to South Australia’s 198, hold the marginal advantage two days after the decider at the Junction Oval, but the biggest winner so far is a man who hasn’t even played this game, incumbent Test opener Jake Weatherald.
In the three months since Weatherald left his Test berth a question mark, no candidate has knocked down the door with a mountain of runs late in the Shield season.
In difficult batting conditions, former Test opener Nathan McSweeney and future star Campbell Kellaway did not exactly damage their chances but both missed opportunities that would have significantly strengthened their positions.
With selector Tony Dodemaide watching from the stands and national coach Andrew McDonald keeping an eye on from Cricket Victoria’s function room, McSweeney worked for three hours over two days to hit 52, his highest ever.
McSweeney, who had a tough performance against Jasprit Bumrah against India last season, has had a difficult Shield campaign but showed his class in difficult conditions. At a time when batsmen preferred to risk their arms on pitches heavily tilted in the bowler’s favour, McSweeney relied on his defense against a quality Victoria attack led by Scott Boland.
It took a signature Boland delivery for McSweeney, who was confused by a delivery in the channel outside off stump, to take a diving catch to Sam Harper.
Kellaway survived 24 runs of high-quality seam bowling in dull light, closing in to bat on the ball from which Henry Thornton reared sharply and was caught by McSweeney, who raced to short cover.
Scoring on a well-turfed pitch proved so challenging that he took a sharp leap and significant movement off the edge and even Alex Carey struggled. He made 26 off 88 balls before playing Test gloveman Sam Elliott; This breakthrough went a long way in justifying his line-ball selection against the hapless Mitch Perry.
A crucial moment came when Vics captain Will Sutherland bowled Liam Scott for 37, restricting South Australia to 198 and denying them any batting bonus points. This means if Victoria get past 200 they only need to draw to win the Shield.
Despite Saturday’s rain forecast, a draw looks unlikely.
Victoria’s answers were not very convincing. Sam Harper erased 20 from the chase with a wicket off the new ball, but could only last 10 balls before finding himself in an awkward position and on the sidelines.
Only eight overs of spin have been bowled in the first two days of CA’s showpiece domestic play, which will do little to assuage the concerns of those who believe the art of slow bowling is under-appreciated.
T-shirt controversy on the first day of the Shield final
Andrew Wu
A fan was denied entry to the Sheffield Shield final on Thursday because he wore a T-shirt supporting Imran Khan, which will now be allowed because the shirt relates to a humanitarian issue, Cricket Australia said.
Luke Brown was forced to cover up his “Free Imran Khan” shirt to enter the Junction Oval on Thursday as he was thought to have made a political statement about the jailed Pakistani great.
However, contacted by this imprint, Cricket Australia said security personnel followed instructions correctly and, after reviewing the situation, did not view the treatment of Imran as a political issue, meaning the support given to him was not contrary to the governing body’s registration and entry conditions.
“Given the widespread concern within the cricket community for the welfare of Imran Khan, we believe this is a humanitarian issue and will act accordingly,” a CA spokesperson said.
There are widespread concerns about Imran’s health following reports that his condition has deteriorated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala prison, where he is imprisoned on corruption charges.
A total of 14 former international captains from the five Test nations, including Australia greats Steve Waugh and Allan Border and England’s Michael Atherton, have signed a petition created by fighting legend Greg Chappell calling for Imran to receive better treatment in prison.
Other signatories include Australia’s Belinda Clark, former India captains Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar and West Indies icon Clive Lloyd.
A respected player all over the world, Imran was arguably his best on-field success 34 years ago when he captained Pakistan to their only World Cup victory in Melbourne.
Brown says he was “confused” when ordered to cover up shirt produced by cricket website cricket and others. After putting on another T-shirt, he was allowed to enter.
“I’m surprised,” Brown, who has been a club cricketer for nearly 30 years, said of the tag. “I understand the debate they have to deal with in other situations, so if they apply a general rule it makes it easier for them. They’ve been very nice.”
“I can understand why they made that call but I think it’s the wrong call. The cricket world should get behind it.”
“It’s up to them how they enforce their rules, but if they are to do that then the onus falls on them to do more on other fronts to mobilize the cricketing public to support Imran Khan.”
Brown later praised CA for clarifying its position.
“It’s easy for individual cricket fans like me to have the right attitude towards Imran’s treatment,” Brown said. “It’s tougher for Cricket Australia, so I applaud them for doing that.”
Victoria held the early advantage on day one after taking three early wickets to beat South Australia 3-55 at lunch.
It was only crossed 28 times throughout the day and none were played after the first break due to continued rain throughout the afternoon.
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