Nathan Lyon: 'The emotions in the room were quite remarkable' - Shutterstock/Ashley Western
Nathan Lyon Plays the Peacemaker as Players Clash in Dining Room over Jonny Bairstow Stumping
By Will Macpherson
Injured spinner Nathan Lyon has claimed he played peacemaker when the war of words between England and Australia players spilled from the pitch into the dining room after Alex Carey’s controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s.
Shortly before lunch on the final day of the second Test, Carey sparked outrage among the Lord’s crowd and England players when he stumped Bairstow, who wandered out of his crease wrongly believing Cameron Green’s over to be complete. England ended up narrowly short of a mammoth target of 371, with Bairstow’s wicket key.
Australia’s players were berated as they walked through the Pavilion Long Room, leading to an MCC investigation and the suspension of three members . Ever since, Carey and captain Pat Cummins have been taunted by English crowds, leading Usman Khawaja to say he “could not believe” some of the things he had heard.
David Warner told the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club Podcast that he had “never experienced anything” like the vitriol that Australia’s players received.
“It was absolutely incredible, I have never experienced anything like it,” he said. “I have copped some stuff before from people, but proper grown men, mature people who are meant to be the quietest at the home of cricket, it was something to behold.”
“I wish I had a microphone so people could get a sense of how loud it was in there. It was crazy. I can’t repeat it on here!”
Lyon had picked up a series-ending calf injury on day two of that game, but revealed that Bairstow made his feelings known to Australia’s players at lunch.
“There were a few Australian guys and a few English guys in the lunchroom, and I hobbled up on my crutches and stood in the middle of it and tried to calm things down a little bit.” Lyon told the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast. “Jonny had a few words here or there. That’s all part of it, I’m all for it.”
Lyon said the Australian camp were “gobsmacked” by how the situation escalated.
“The emotions in the room were quite remarkable,” said Lyon. “Everyone was gobsmacked but I found it’s hilarious because you walk through that Long Room and you’re more chance of getting sued than punched.”
“So, you look at it like that and all these guys abusing you, and you’re like ‘what’s going on here?’ It was quite funny in all respects.” - The Telegraph
