The Victoria coach who scraped the ball into a gutter on the boundary during the Sheffield Shield final has been sanctioned by Cricket Australia and accepted a $2,266 fine.
Mick Lewis, the Bushrangers’ bowling coach, was captured kicking the ball into a gutter after it had crossed the boundary early on day three of the domestic season finale against South Australia at Glenelg’s Gliderol Oval.
He was then seen to rake the ball against a section of concrete guttering before throwing it back onto the field of play. After consultation, the umpires exchanged the damaged ball for a new one an over later, and Victoria were docked five runs as punishment for the ball tampering.
Lewis, a former Victoria player and Australia international, admitted his guilt and was fined the equivalent of 50% of a player’s match fee. Cricket Australia said no hearing was required as it was his first offence within the last 18 months.
The cricket community was quick to condemn Lewis’s action.
The former Australia player Greg Blewett called his actions a “disgrace” while Jason Gillespie said it was “very poor from anyone let alone a member of the support staff”.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke expressed his disbelief at seeing the images, and Mitchell Starc suggested Victoria should be hit with a points deduction at the start of next season.
What the???? https://t.co/GBnwimeBAi
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 28, 2016
Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide made no excuses for Lewis, who apologised unreservedly and accepted “a severe reprimand” as a Cricket Victoria employee.
“Cricket Victoria does not condone any action to gain an unfair advantage in any form, we’re committed to playing fair cricket in the spirit of the game,” Dodemaide said.
“Victorian coach David Saker was extremely disappointed in Mick’s actions and also that he cost the side five runs in what could be a very close match. We believe that Mick will learn a valuable lesson from this and understands this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Lewis, 41, retired from playing in 2008 after a career that blossomed late; he was called up to the Australian one-day international team in 2005-06 at the age of 31, becoming the oldest ODI debutant since Bob Holland in 1984-85.
But his seven-match ODI career will be most remembered for setting an unwanted record during the fifth match of the series against South Africa in 2006. He conceded 113 runs in his 10 overs, shattering a 23-year-old record previously held by Kiwi Martin Sneddon, as South Africa made what is still the highest ODI successful run-chase total.
The Shield final remained in the balance after three days, with South Australia holding a 78-run lead over Victoria with six wickets remaining heading into the penultimate day of scheduled play.
