Run-out row prompts more crowd trouble (26 April 1999)

26 April 1999

Run-out row prompts more crowd trouble

Richard Bright

CROWD trouble brought the seventh and final one-day match between West Indies and Australia to a halt in Bridgetown, Barbados last night after West Indies opener Sherwin Campbell was controversially run out.

Campbell collided with Australian bowler Brendon Julian after setting off for a single from the non-striker's end and fell to the ground as an Australian fielder ran in to complete the run-out. The crowd felt Julian had impeded Campbell.

Australia captain Steve Waugh refused to recall Campbell - during the Australian innings Michael Bevan was run out after having to avoid a collision with bowler Reon King.

Members of the crowd pelted the field with bottles and missiles, putting the Australian outfielders in danger, and some invaded the field. As Waugh left the field a bottle was hurled at him and missed his head by inches.

Raman Subba Row, the English match referee, came on to the field and was considering whether to abandon the match as the crowd bayed for Campbell to return.

Earlier in the week Waugh himself had said he had feared for his life when he was caught up in a crowd invasion at the close of the fifth one-day match, which ended a tie.

Play resumed after half an hour, once Australia agreed to recall Campbell.

Meanwhile, West Indies' hopes of making their mark in the World Cup suffered a major setback before the game when Carl Hooper announced his immediate retirement from international cricket.

Hooper, 32, stunned his team-mates on Saturday by telling them he would be withdrawing before yesterday's final game of the one-day series with Australia in the Caribbean and confirming he would not be available for the coming World Cup in England.

His reasons were not made public, though he will be giving a full explanation to the West Indies cricket authorities in due course. He will almost certainly cite family pressures and, perhaps, a disaffection with the game.

Hooper delayed his return to the Caribbean for the Test series against Australia to remain with his wife in Adelaide during the serious illness of their baby son.

After 80 Tests and 182 one-day appearances during his 12 years on the cricket carousel, Hooper has opted for an easier existence.

Though he made a slow start to Test cricket, he built up his batting average to 33.76, scoring 4,153 runs, and developed into a front-line off-spinner, capturing 93 wickets. He withdrew from the previous World Cup three years ago owing to the after-effects of malaria.

Hooper's announcement came as West Indies went down to a four-wicket defeat in Bridgetown in the sixth one-day international against Australia on Saturday.

Adam Gilchrist hit 64 off 55 balls as Australia reached 253 for six with nine balls to spare in reply to West Indies' 249 for eight off their 50 overs.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)