Fiery Victorian paceman James Pattinson ruffled some feathers with an unsavoury incident during a thrilling final day of Sheffield Shield cricket at the MCG.
The home side was eyeing a victory over old rival NSW, with the visitors needing a big chase to pull off an unlikely victory while losing wickets regularly.
Victoria had them 6-193 but opening batter Daniel Hughes was digging in bravely in a desperate effort to salvage a draw.
Hughes had already faced 243 deliveries when he defended a Pattinson dart back down the pitch, which the bowler picked up in frustration and stupidly hurled the ball straight at the batter who was standing idle in his crease.
A bowler is allowed to throw the ball at the batter’s stumps but only in an attempt to run them out. Hughes was not attempting to run and was standing well in his crease, and Pattinson’s throw would have missed the stumps badly regardless of if it had missed the batter.
The thrown ball hit Hughes on the foot and he dropped his bat and sat on the ground in obvious pain. Pattinson briefly raised an apologetic hand but then walked away to the top of his mark.
https://twitter.com/andymcg_cricket/status/1457561713092415493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Victoria won the match by 175 runs but the attempt to rattle Hughes didn’t work. The NSW star carried his bat, remaining not out on 89 while his team was skittled for 247 in its second innings.
He was the shining light in what was otherwise a demoralising loss for the northern state.
https://twitter.com/RicFinlay/status/1457599999500451847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The star of the match was Victorian quick Scott Boland.
Boland returned 3-33 and 5-56m for the match, continuing his impressive Shield season to date.
Forgotten Test batter Nic Maddinson also starred with 128 in the first innings.
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