Waugh warns: someone will be killed soon

Tournament of crowd trouble finishes with Bevan struck in the face by a beer can

Steve Waugh, Australia's captain, repeated his warning last night that a cricketer would soon be killed if crowd behaviour was not brought under control. His stark fears were expressed ­ and given further credence ­ after his team-mate, Michael Bevan, was struck in the face by a beer can thrown on to the dressing-room balcony at Lord's.

That act of folly combined with menace, soon after the premature end of a NatWest Series final in which Australia were dominant, thrust English cricket into further turmoil. It demonstrated all too vividly that the crisis is much less in the form of the nation's one-day side than in the sudden ­ but shocking ­ misbehaviour of some fans. Incursions on to the pitch in the form of spectators and fireworks had already marred three earlier matches in the tournament.

While there is a danger of knee-jerk over-reaction, as already conveyed by the new sports minister, Richard Caborn, there must be concerns of copy-cat uncontrollable occurrences. Waugh was matter-of-factly adamant. "We've been harping on about it for some time but somebody will get killed, no doubt about it," he said.

Bevan, luckily, was unhurt apart from a swelling on his cheek which is likely to lead to a black eye. "I just felt something hid the side of my head," he said. "I didn't see it happen. It was an otherwise uneventful day. It doesn't send a great message home. But it has made me reflect on what could have happened. I have already spoken to the police. They have the details."

The incident, for which a man was later arrested, happened during the presentation ceremony at the end of the one-sided match. Australia won by nine wickets on a convivial, sun-kissed day. Television cameras captured the moment and managed to freeze-frame the individual who threw the full can of the Australian brew, VB.

The ceremony was abandoned and resumed a few minutes later in the comparative safety of the Long Room. Then came the repercussions and demands for a solution. Waugh, who has been one of the most vocal guardians of player safety and led his men off after fireworks were thrown at Trent Bridge last week, said: "If the spectators don't show us any respect we won't show them any. It's sad but maybe we've reached the lowest point. Maybe something will now be done."

What that might be is the difficult bit. Officials of the England and Wales Cricket Board will meet Caborn and the Minister of State at the Home Office, John Denham, this week. In Australia, as Waugh observed, they prevent cans being brought into the ground and spectators, who face swift and heavy fines for running on to the pitch, must drink all their beer from plastic beakers.

Roger Knight, the secretary of the MCC who own Lord's, said security would be reviewed again. They might consider a ban on cans and whether to continue holding presentation ceremonies on the balcony. "The crowd behaviour had been excellent. It's absolutely disgraceful and ruined a day which 30,000 spectators had enjoyed. It's very hard to legislate against everything."

In South Africa, for the next World Cup, as Ali Bacher, that tournament's executive director, makes clear elsewhere on these pages, they intend to do exactly that. Caborn, the Lord's mandarins, the MCC, must be seen to be doing something, anything. The snarling dogs as espoused so poetically by the ECB chairman, Lord MacLaurin, may not be a starter but there must be sustained vigilance and a continuing will lest the position get out of control.

The crowd had indeed been good-natured, if boisterous, throughout the day, and if they ran on to the pitch when the match ended at 4.45pm there was no indication of what was to follow. As tradition dictates, several hundred others who had wandered on much more sedately gathered in front of the pavilion. Rival fans immediately started barracking each other and the players on the balcony were subject to abuse. Balls and other objects arrived.

Bevan, who was not needed to bat in the match, was struck by the can just as Waqar Younis, the Pakistani captain, was receiving his award for being player of the series. Although the presentations were completed indoors the atmosphere had changed completely. Many fans wandered round aimlessly and hundreds gathered in a block below the Australian dressing room. Stewards mingled with them to ensure there was no further trouble.

Waugh was profoundly annoyed that he again found himself discussing spectators instead of his wonderful players. The match was a repeat of the World Cup final two years and three days ago. If that made it bitterly disappointing as a contest, it emphasised Australia's superiority.

Then they had won by eight wickets in chasing 133, now they yielded 20 more runs but lost one fewer wicket. For all that period Pakistan had waited for the opportunity to make amends for their nightmare performance. Instead, they relived it.

The board shows that Australia bowled out Pakistan for 152 in 42.3 overs and knocked off the runs in 26.3 overs, winning with a boundary. There was hardly time for deeds of individual valour but all the Australian bowlers were menacing and all their batsmen (all three, that is) were in supreme form. Perhaps special mentions should be reserved for Brett Lee, who really looks the genuine article and Ricky Ponting, who is, and in 24 balls gave a rich exhibition.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, who had shown blatant dissent in his long, slow walk to the pavilion after being given out lbw, was later fined 50 per cent of his match fee and suspended for two one-day matches.

All was overshadowed in one moment. Ten yards from where Bevan was struck stood Stephen Speight, the steward who was injured during the Headingley crowd invasion a week ago. He had been brought to the ground by the ECB as a guest of honour.