Australian PM Anthony Albanese congratulated the men's and women's teams for victories on English soil but Rishi Sunak criticised the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow; watch the third Test live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Thursday (first ball from 11am)
Tuesday 4 July 2023 10:38, UK
"Same old Aussies, always winning!"
That was what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted after victories in the opening two Ashes games for both Australia's men's and women's teams.
It comes in stark contrast to the chants of the Lord's crowd on the final day of the second men's Test match after Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped by Alex Carey, wandering out of his crease at the end of a Cameron Green over, with the third umpire upholding Australia's appeal as the ball was not deemed 'dead'.
After that, the Barmy Army – more fired up than ever – chanted "Same old Aussies, always cheating" and there were unsavoury scenes in the famous Lord's Long Room as Australia pair David Warner and Usman Khawaja appeared to remonstrate with spectators, leading to three MCC members being suspended, when the teams headed off for lunch.
The wicket has certainly sparked furious debate but Albanese, further buoyed by Australia's women's team winning the T20 international at Edgbaston on Saturday to take command of that multi-format Ashes series having also emerged victorious in their Test, decided to tweet his congratulations to both teams overnight.
The Aussie PM posted: "I'm proud of our men's and women's cricket teams, who have both won their opening two #Ashes matches against England.
"Same old Aussies - always winning!
"Australia is right behind @ahealy77, @patcummins30 and their teams and look forward to welcoming them home victorious."
However British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared to criticise Australia's Lord's win after Jonny Bairstow's controversial dismissal saw them take a 2-0 lead.
His official spokesman said: "The Prime Minister agrees with Ben Stokes. He said he simply wouldn't want to win a game in the manner Australia did."
Asked whether Mr Sunak thinks Australia's actions were not in keeping with the spirit of cricket, his spokesman said: "Yes".
The controversial stumping of Bairstow has caused furious debate with Stuart Broad, who continued the theatrics every time an over was finished during his partnership with fired-up England captain Ben Stokes, has since criticised the Aussie team's actions in his Daily Mail column.
Broad wrote: "So, within the laws of the game, is the ball still live because Alex Carey catches it and throws it? Probably. Is there any advantage being taken by England? No. Does a full stadium of people think that ball has been and gone? Yes.
"What amazed me, and what I told the Australians, I could not believe as we left the field at lunch, was that not one senior player among them - and I very much understand in the emotion of the game that the bowler and wicketkeeper would have thought 'that's out' - questioned what they had done.
"Not one of them thought: 'He's gaining no advantage. He's not trying to get a run. It's the end of the over. It's a bit of a random dismissal. We should cancel that appeal.'
"Ultimately, Pat Cummins is a really great guy and I would be amazed, once the emotion settles, if he does not sit back and think, 'I got that one wrong', even though his bottom line at the time was winning a Test match.
"The Lord's crowd are obviously huge cricket lovers and never before have I seen a reaction from them like that. They were so angry."
Australia captain Cummins though, came out in defence of his team and insisted he had no issues with the dismissal. Cummins also insisted he's seen Bairstow doing similar behind the stumps to try to catch batters out while wicketkeeping for England.
"I thought it was fair," Cummins said. "I've seen Jonny do it all the time - he did it day one to David Warner and in 2019 to Steve [Smith].
"It's a really common thing for 'keepers to do if they see a batter keep leaving their crease. Full credit to him, he saw the opportunity - I think Jonny did it a few balls beforehand - rolled it at the stumps, Jonny left his crease, and you leave the rest to the umpires."
Watch the crucial third Test of this summer's men's Ashes series live on Sky Sports Cricket from Thursday. Coverage from Headingley starts from 10am with the first ball at 11am. Stream this summer's men's and women's Ashes series on NOW.
