Australia batsman Steve Smith has been excellent in the ongoing Ashes 2019 series against England. The right-handed batsman already scored 671 runs after the first four Tests, and then went on to score another fifty in the final encounter in The Oval. England are finding it hard to trouble the batsman throughout the series, and on the 2nd day of the 5th Test, wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow tried to trick Smith into losing his concentration.
Smith was running a double during the day and he was returning to the striker’s end. Bairstow, standing at the stumps, pretended that the throw is coming his way and he is about to run out Smith.
Jonny Bairstow, top notch shithousery #TheAshes2019 pic.twitter.com/hwp4j176Gf
— Ollie Green (@OllieGreen_) September 13, 2019
Bairstow’s trick worked and Smith ran hard towards the stumps and then dived. Bairstow immediately moved away, knowing that the throw was not coming anytime soon.
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The trickery brought a smile on Smith’s face, but Australia bowler Andrew Tye was far from impressed. In a tweet, the Kings XI Punjab bowler wrote: “Is that not fake fielding?”
Is that not fake fielding? #Ashes
— Andrew Tye (@aj191) September 13, 2019
As per ICC guidelines,“it is unfair for any fielder wilfully to attempt, by word or action, to distract, deceive or obstruct either batsman after the striker has received the ball” and five penalty runs are liable to be added to the opposition’s score if a team is found to indulge in “fake fielding”.
Smith scored an unbeaten 59 as Australia built up a score of 147 for four by tea in reply to England’s first innings 294 on the second day of the final Ashes test on Friday.
Smith built his innings steadily before lofting a Jack Leach ball for six over long on to bring up his half-century. It was his 10th consecutive 50 against England in tests, the most in a row by any batsmen against any other nation in the longest format of the game.
