New footage shows Australia players abused as three MCC members are suspended

New footage has emerged showing the Australian team being heckled at Lord’s in an incident that led three MCC members to be suspended after the Ashes Test.

The Australia players were confronted by some MCC members in the Lord’s pavilion after the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow on day five of the second Ashes Test.

Tempers flared after Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey stumped Bairstow, who left the crease believing the ball to be dead at the end of the 52nd over of England’s second innings.

While the dismissal was legitimate, some have argued it was against the spirit of the game and suggested Pat Cummins should have withdrawn the appeal, with Ben Stokes later saying he would not want to win ‘that way’.

Australia’s David Warner and Usman Khawaja appeared to clash with spectators in the Lord’s Long Room as the teams walked off for lunch and the heckling continued as the tourists made their way back into the dressing room.

In new footage uploaded on social media, MCC members can be heard chanting ‘cheat’ at the Australia players as they returned to the changing room, with one spectator referencing the 2019 ball-tampering scandal that led to bans for Warner and Steve Smith.

The Marylebone Cricket Club, which acts as custodian and arbiter of the laws and spirit of cricket, has apologised ‘unreservedly’ to Australia and suspended three of its members following the incident at Lord’s.

While Australia – and in particular their captain Cummins – were booed for the rest of the day, the atmosphere at Lord’s was already hostile following controversy surrounding a Mitchell Starc catch at the end of day four.

Starc appeared to take a diving catch in the deep after England opener Ben Duckett top-edged a pull shot but the Australian pace bowler then dragged the ball along the ground as he completed the slide.

Duckett, who made 98 and 83 in the second Test, was almost off the field when he was called back and given not out by TV umpire Marais Erasmus.

At the end of play, the MCC backed the umpire’s decision, citing Law 33.3 which states that a catch is ‘only completed when the fielder has control over the ball and his/her own movement’.

Despite the laws seemingly clearing up the issue, Australia legend Glenn McGrath described the decision was ‘disgraceful’.

Speaking on BBC’s Test Match Special, he said: ‘He’s got that under control, the ball is under control. If that is not out, then every other catch that has ever been taken should not be out.

‘That is a disgrace. Did the ground assist him catching the ball? Did him sliding aid the catch?

‘It did not assist him, he had control of the ball. Every catch in this series, we’ll have to make sure they are in control of their body.’

But former England captain Michael Vaughan responded: ‘I saw the message from [umpire] Marais Erasmus and he was in control of the ball but not of his body.

‘Rules are rules. Sorry, Glenn!’

Australia’s 43-run victory at Lord’s puts them 2-0 up in the Ashes with three Tests remaining. Only once in history has a team lifted the urn after losing the first two Test matches.

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