Best of the web: Abuse is just not cricket

Lansdowne player Sanjay Patel takes a slip catch much to the delight of skipper Jamie Holmes during the Bidwill Cup final on Saturday that ended in chaos. Photo / Kris Kilford

The collapse of the senior men's Wairarapa cricket final at the Queen Elizabeth Park oval on Saturday amid allegations of fierce bullying and an "intolerable level of personal abuse" has ignited Wairarapa Times-Age readers online.

Umpires Johann Fourie and James Sprowson had no choice but to pull stumps at tea on Saturday when the batting side, Greytown, refused to return to the pitch. There were tears.

The Wairarapa Cricket Association appointed Jonathan Hooker, chairman of the Masterton District Council's hearing committee, as an independent investigator into the incident.

Among the comments and posts about the descent of the match into chaos, on the Wairarapa Times-Age news website and Facebook page, were plaudits for the refusal to play and praise for the umpires, and condemnation of the allegedly puerile behaviour and pack bullying of rival players.

Simonius posted:

"Congratulations to Greytown. This should become the standard way of dealing with abusive teams, if the referee can't detect or handle it."

Lefthook agreed:

"Absolutely. Good on you for making a stand. Friendly sledging is part of the game but abuse and personal attacks are definitely not on. Officials should be made to report any unsportsmanlike behaviour in any game so incidents can be dealt with at the time it happens."

Concerned kiwi likewise posted agreement and praise:

"Good on you for standing up to bullying and abuse. Amateur or professional, abuse has no place in sports. When a team has to resort to abuse to win, it brings the game into disrepute. Mental toughness should never include having to deal with abuse. Let's not forget, being abusive is a cowardly act. Players, officials, fans and public should never condone it."

Rosie said:

"Reminds me of being sworn at and called racist names by opposition players as a schoolgirl netballer. Put me off team sports for life. Some people are just ugly."

Henry Cameron, of Palmerston North, posted that "as someone whose seeing it from the outside, it looks pretty bad. Individuals are never bigger than the game, and this has to hurt the game in the Wairarapa."

Duke Molnar was even more succinct:

" ... it's just not cricket."