David Warner departs after being dismissed in Australia's win over England. Photo /Getty
David Warner departs after being dismissed in Australia's win over England. Photo /Getty
A man in a retro England jersey and sunglasses stands up from his seat, beer in his right hand while he brings his left up to his mouth.
"You're a cheat!" he yells to someone he must surely know can't hear him. Next to him, his grey-haired mate in a black T-shirt joins in. "Cheeeaaattt," he drawls in a low, booming voice.
They chuckle, high-five each other, take another swig of their drinks and sit back down.
One row behind them, about 15m to their left, a man in a grey sweater and his friend in a navy polo shirt and cap are on their feet booing. Then they share a laugh, sit back down, give themselves a champagne top-up and clink their glasses.
This was the scene at Lord's in the Edrich Stand as Steve Smith came out to bat against England in Australia's hugely-anticipated World Cup clash. It's no surprise the English came prepared to taunt the former Aussie captain, but the real shock was how severe his reception was compared to David Warner's.
The wounds of sandpaper-gate have been reopened in the Old Dart as the Aussies cop brutal reminders from crowds around the country about their past sins. But the booing had largely died down in the past few matches and when Warner strode out to the middle, the muted reaction suggested the England faithful weren't going to be as unforgiving as had been suggested when given their first chance to bombard him and Smith since their returns to international cricket.
David Warner looks towards the Lord's crowd during Australia's Cricket World Cup win over England. Photo /Getty
There were boos, sure, but they were muted and nothing compared to what Warner copped in the opening few games. Maybe it was because Lord's has a different aura to it than any other ground in the world โ a place where respect and tradition reign.
Or maybe it was because of the tension that consumed the home of cricket, spectators more concerned with on-field implications than taking pot shots. It certainly was tense in the opening 10 overs as the Aussie openers battled to stay alive on a pitch doing plenty for the English quicks. The crowd was captivated.
Lastly, re the fans at Lords & booing Smith and Warner. I donโt like any players being booed in any sport, but if the fans who pay their $$ want to, then they are entitled too - go for it. But do it at your own peril as I know this will not effect them - but could inspire !!!!!!
The ominous quiet and sense of anticipation around Lord's led former England captain Michael Vaughan to say in commentary the atmosphere reminded him of the opening morning of an Ashes series, where there are nerves on both sides of the boundary rope.
That atmosphere never reached the same fire-and-brimstone level of previous Australian matches in Bristol and Nottingham, but by the time the Aussies got a roll on, then stumbled as England fought back, it had at least gone up several notches from those opening overs.
When Finch was caught the ball after celebrating his century, the man in the England jersey found his voice again. "Well done for not cheating, Finch," he roared as the captain trudged off.
When Smith took a tumble at the nonstriker's end as he tried to avoid being run out, another man โ who twisted the banter from lighthearted to nasty โ yelled out: "Should have broken his neck, cheating b***ard."
The animosity directed Smith's way seemed to outweigh what Warner copped. To an Australian, it made little sense because Warner was the chief architect of the ball tampering fiasco, the man who hatched the plan then coerced Cameron Bancroft into carrying out the crime. Smith just wasn't strong enough to stop it.
Why then, when Warner was at the centre of the controversy, was Smith being burned more by English supporters?
"I want to punch David Warner in the face, but not Steve Smith," one fan โ who was actually booing Smith โ said. "I think Smith's got a rough trot. Warner's lumped him in with it.
"He's a class act, he's the best batsman in the world, that's why I think we're booing him."
Ricky Ponting used to cop some stick in England. It came with the territory of being Australia's best player. Perhaps Smith is suffering the same fate, but he's also wearing sledges by virtue of being in charge when sandpaper was brought onto the field in Cape Town.
"He was the captain, so people here probably hold him responsible," the fan, who swears he would have booed even more loudly for Warner had he arrived at Lord's in time for the first ball, said.
His mate suggested Smith was more heavily targeted simply because by the time he arrived at the crease, punters had a few more drinks under their belts. Not a bad theory, but it can't be the only explanation.
The sights and sounds that unfolded when Smith strutted out of the dressing room would have infuriated ex-England spinner Graeme Swann.
"If you want to boo, and you want to be boorish and yobbish, don't go to a sports match," he said in a video for ESPN Cricinfo before the match. "Boorish and yobbish behaviour is the whole reason David Warner will be booed, for being boorish and yobbish.
"If you're going to turn up and boo, you shouldn't be here and you're a disgrace to the English game."
To be fair to a couple of blokes unloading on Smith, they gave the same treatment to the guy whose job it was to entertain the crowd after a wicket fell by playing songs on a guitar made out of a cricket bat. They clearly didn't appreciate his performance of Dire Straits' Money for Nothing, and weren't shy in letting him know.
Many have claimed the booing of Smith and Warner will only make them play better. We reckon old mate in charge of the tunes lifted his game after being abused, too.
