Controversy reigned at Lord's in the second Test of the Ashes for the second day in-a-row, as Jonny Bairstow was run out by Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
On Saturday evening all the talk was about the wicket of Ben Duckett as Mitchell Star believed he'd caught the England opener in the deep.
However the third umpire noticed that the fast bowler was not in control of his body when taking the catch and had used the ground below him the keep hold of the ball.
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Glenn McGrath in particular couldn't believe that the wicket had been overturned, especially as it would have all but meant the end of England's chances of victory.
As it was Duckett and Ben Stokes knew they were likely going to have to bat long in order to pull off the unlikely and tie up the series, having lost the first Test.
However the former was out for 83, caught by Carey off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood the second time in the match he'd been out in the 80s.
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That left Stokes along with Bairstow with the pair the remaining two front-line batters in the line up for the hosts but then disaster struck.
Having faced the final ball of an over, Bairstow tapped his foot behind the crease and then walked forward believing the over was finished. Carey though through the ball and knocked over the wickets.
The Australia team appealed for the wicket whilst the Yorkshire batter didn't realise what was going on, having believed the ball was dead.
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Captain Pat Cummins had the chance to call Bairstow back and reverse the appeal, allowing him to continue batting, but decided against it.
Fans and pundits alike couldn't believe what had gone on, with Piers Morgan taking to Twitter to say: "You cannot be serious??!! Australia, that is pathetic. How can you possibly want to win an Ashes Test match like that?"
On the booing in the crowd, Test Match Special commentator Henry Moran added: "Never heard Lord’s react like that. And more than one Australian in the media centre shaking their heads in dismay that that appeal wasn’t withdrawn."
"Lord’s is going full Hollies. Boos, cheers, chants, the lot. It’s vicious," said Matthew Henry.
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"My conclusion is it’s incredibly stupid from Bairstow but also very cheap of Australia," stated one fan.
Another exclaimed: "All the commentators are talking s**t about Bairstow. Everyone of them would be pissed if they'd been given, it's not about rules, it's about sportsmanship, something Aussies know little about."
"Batsmen assume the ball is dead when the ball goes to the keeper, and have done for more than a century. Can’t believe people are having a pop at Bairstow for something that batsmen do hundreds of times a match. It’s pathetic," replied another.
Describing the situation another posted: "Australia are booed in the stands - and the members don’t clap them off!"
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Stokes clearly took the controversy personally and decided to pound the ball to all parts of the stadium scoring his century in quick time and bringing up a half century partnership with Stuart Broad after just 4.4 overs.
Featured Image Credit: Sky SportsTopics: Cricket, England, Australia, Ben Stokes, Fan Reactions
