Willow Cuts Cricket Club’s George O’Brien threatens to use his bat after a taunting by Cleveland County wicketkeeper Jason Anderson. Photo: Cricket.com.au
It was a cricket match celebrated as a “community event”, but it turned into “a repugnant incident of violence, lawlessness and unsportsmanlike conduct” and led to a player being banned for life.
Bermudan cricketer Jason Anderson has been banned for life after a horrific brawl in the Champion of Champions final.
Playing for the Cleveland County Cricket Club, Anderson was found to have incited a row with Willow Cuts Cricket Club’s George O’Brien at the St David’s Cricket Club Ground.
Having represented Bermuda 14 times, Anderson was wicketkeeping when he remonstrated with batsman O’Brien between overs.
A fight ensued with O’Brien swinging his bat at Anderson before the pair wrestled each other to the ground.
Anderson soon after took aim at O’Brien with a kick – an act that video appears to show striking his own teammate Aaron Adams in the head.
Players, officials and members of the Bermuda Police Service intervened and Cleveland president Carlton Smith told Anderson to leave the field. The match continued and Cleveland won by 72 runs.
After reviewing the video and studying reports, the Bermuda Cricket Board found Anderson guilty of a physical assault of another player and banned him for life.
Meanwhile, O’Brien, a 12-time Bermuda representative, was charged with threatening to assault another player and was banned “for a period sufficient to include 6 Logic 50-over matches.”
The incident went to government levels with Bermuda’s Opposition sports spokesman Michael Weeks saying: “What was to be a family and community event, has instead been marred by a repugnant incident of violence, lawlessness and unsportsmanlike conduct.”
