The ‘spirit of cricket’ is a debatable topic in the ‘gentleman’s game’. This is one example, where the game threatened to go into that territory, before the captain nipped the issue in the bud.
In the 1st final between Australia and South Africa, of the Carlton and United Series in 1997/98, the match was heading to a close finish with Australia needing 8 runs off 3 deliveries, and a wicket in hand. No. 11 Paul Wilson got a yorker from Shaun Pollock, and could only push it as far as the non-striker Shane Warne, whose outstretched bat deflected the ball, preventing the bowler from affecting a run-out.
The umpires convened to discuss if Warne should be given out for ‘obstructing the field’, but South African skipper Hansie Cronje promptly withdrew the appeal. Warne was dismissed on the penultimate ball and South Africa won the match by 6 runs.
Though it didn’t affect the result of the match, should Warne have been given out on the occasion. And did Cronje show ‘spirit of the game’ by withdrawing the appeal?
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