VIDEO: Cricket match turns into wrestling-kickboxing contest; player banned for life

Bengaluru, Sep 22: A cricket match turned into a wrestling-kickboxing contest with players fighting on the field with bat being swung and one of the cricketers knocked down to the ground. The end result - life ban for one of them.

This ugly brawl was witnessed on September 12 (Saturday) in Bermuda during the 2015 Champion of Champions final between Cleveland County Cricket Club and Willow Cuts Cricket Club.

Jason Anderson, the 36-year-old wicket-keeper was handed a life ban by his club for the fight on the field. He has represented Bermuda in 5 One-Dayers and 9 Twenty20s. Anderson was charged with Level 4 breach of code.

Anderson had a spat with opposition batsman George O'Brien. And between one of the overs, the verbal duel turned ugly with both exchanging blows.

Some of the players tried to defuse the situation but the fight carried on and was finally halted with the intervention of police and officials.

After this incident the match was halted and Anderson was sent off the field. Later, the cricket contest resumed and Cleveland won by 72 runs.

Right-handed batsman O'Brien too has played for Bermuda, in 9 ODIs and 3 T20Is. He was also punished with Level 3 breach. He was suspended from 6 50-over matches.

Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) said, "Jason Anderson formally of Cleveland County Cricket Club has been found guilty of a Level 4 2.4.2 of the Code of Conduct: Physical assault of another Player and has been given a life ban from all cricket and any involvement in the game of cricket in Bermuda in any capacity."

"George O'Brien of St. David's County Cricket Club has been found guilty of a Level 3 2.3.2 of the Code of Conduct: Threat of assault on another player and has has been banned from all cricket for a period sufficient to include 6 Logic 50 over matches. Date to be confirmed at the start of the 2016 season," BCB added.

Cleveland County CC's president Carlton Smith Jr. said, "Cleveland County Cricket Club (CCCC) would like to announce that as a result of the incident at the recent Champions of Champions final, Mr. Jason Anderson is hereby banned from representing the club in all sporting activities for life.

"The executive and members of CCCC do not condone the behaviour of Mr. Anderson. We view these matters seriously and as a community club this is not the type of behaviour that we expect from members of the club, nor the example that we would like to set for our junior players.

"The Club would like to thank Mr. Anderson for his contributions to the success the club has experienced over the last few years as he has been an integral part of that success. We urge Mr. Anderson to seek assistance for his anger issues and the club is willing to help him with these efforts, if he is willing.

"We would like to apologise to the general public for the scenes witnessed during the Champions of Champions final, as this is not the image that Cleveland County Cricket Club wish to portray."

BCB's statement on the fight

"The BCB is gravely disappointed by the distasteful altercation during the Champion of Champions Final yesterday which marred an otherwise successful return to this historic competition.

The BCB expects that the match reports from the umpires and match officials, corroborated by BCB Executive members at the game, will be received shortly, in addition to the video evidence already available, to enable the Disciplinary Committee to meet on Thursday September 17th.

The game between Bailey's Bay and Cleveland today has been cancelled but all other games are as per the schedule."

Watch the entire incident here

OneIndia News