Aussies claiming 'that ball'

First it was sheep jokes. Then it was selective Australian nationality - you know, Russell Crowe is Australian until he biffs a phone and then he's a Kiwi.

Then came calls for New Zealand sperm from our transtasman neighbours after a supposed shortage of donors over there.

Now, they're claiming our underarm balls.

A $10,000 row has broken out - the Beige Brigade in one corner and defensive Australians in the other - over who has the real ball used in the underarm controversy of 25 years ago.

As part of research into the 25th anniversary of this most shocking fallout between neighbours, the Herald on Sunday discovered that one of the two balls used in the controversial one-day international resides in an Auckland bank vault and can be accessed only by fingerprint identification.

But the West Australian Cricket Association Museum has the other ball. Both sides are claiming theirs is the ball that was rolled underarm down the pitch by Australia's Trevor Chappell to innocent Kiwi batsman Brian McKechnie.

The Beige Brigade's ball was first owned by a former CEO of Qantas who then passed it to former New Zealand corporate kingpin Ron Brierley.

He donated it to a Wellington College fundraising auction where it was purchased by a Christchurch man. He recently put it up for sale on TradeMe and it was purchased by the Brigade for $10,000.

One of the umpires of the game (Don "The Weasel" Weser) provided an affidavit proclaiming the Aussie ball to be THE ball. However, the Brigade are disputing this.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY