Today, the third Asher's cricket match of the summer gets underway in Leeds between England

and Australia. It's the sport's oldest, and one of its most bitter rivalries. And last

week's game in London was mired in controversy. After the England wiki keeper, Johnny Behrsteau,

was given out in unusual circumstances.

The dismissal led to ugly scenes in the Lords for Villain, where members of the privileged

club confronted Australian players and accused them of being cheats.

All very ugly.

The Australians, I should just add, did not cheat, but many, primarily English fans, felt

that they had been unsporting, not playing in a so-called spirit of cricket.

Sporting Barney almost escalated into a full-blown diplomatic row, with both countries

Prime Minister's wading in.

To cricket now, and the Asher's row over Johnny Behrsteau's stumping at Lords yesterday

has reached Westminster. A down in street spokesman says the Prime Minister agrees with England

Captain Ben Stokes in that he wouldn't want to win a game in the manner that Australia

did.

Aussie PM, Anthony Albanese, hit back, saying Mr. Soonak should stay in his crease.

The outrage over this incident reached the high pitch, because of the sense that cricket

is somehow synonymous with sportsmanship and fair play, a bastion of moral virtue, and

that's where the phrase, it's just not cricket comes from.

But if anything, the angry behaviour of the members in that Lords Pavilion, perhaps

showed us that all is not well in the land of cricket.

Because these events happened less than a week after the sports reputation had been

...