Play up, play up and play the game

The Lord's test should be remembered for Ben Stokes' batting, not a minor controversy involving Jonny Bairstow

WAR WITH AUSTRALIA beckons in the gravest diplomatic incident between the London and Canberra in 90 years. The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has weighed in on the greatest issue of the moment: did Australia “cheat” while defeating England in a game of cricket at Lord’s last Sunday? According to his spokesman, yes, they did. For, “The prime minister agrees with Ben Stokes, and he said he simply wouldn't want to win a game in the manner Australia did.” We may have lost the game but we remain the better people.

To recap: with England in a parlous position chasing 371 to win the test and, most likely, retain any significant chance of regaining the Ashes, Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow was dismissed, stumped, by the Australian wicket-keeper, Alex Carey, who, blind to the “spirit of cricket”, acted precisely as you would expect an uncultured Antipodean to behave. Bairstow believed the ball was no longer live and strolled beyond the crease. In this he may have been given some encouragement by an …