Cricket fans in uproar over 'disgusting' Aussie farce: 'What a joke'

Aussie cricket fans were left fuming on Friday after a comical finish to a domestic one-day match between NSW and Victoria.

A half-century from batting prodigy Will Pucovski helped Victoria to a bizarre weather-impacted win in domestic cricket's season opener in Melbourne.

In pursuit of NSW's challenging target of 7-277, Victoria reached 0-47 from 9.2 overs when a 13-over delay saw the home side set a revised target of 226 from 37 overs at just over a run-a-ball.

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Umpires were then on the verge of taking the players from the field at the end of the 28th over due to bad light, which would have given NSW victory because Victoria were behind the Duckworth-Lewis par score.

But Victoria captain Peter Handscomb pleaded with umpires to stay out there and managed to convince NSW to keep playing as well.

Victoria required another seven runs to get past the DLS par score by the end of the next over, and NSW captain Kurtis Pattinson agreed to bowl spin to keep the game going.

Matt Short then blasted Jason Sangha over long on for six to get Victoria the required runs, with the umpires immediately taking players from the field due to the poor light and handing the Vics the win.

The bizarre scenes left commentators on Fox Sports gobsmacked.

“Peter Handscomb pleaded with the umpire to say we want to stay out and get ahead of the run rate, bowl the spinner and we will stay out here," Brendon Julian said.

“They got ahead and all of a sudden Peter Handscomb took his gloves off and started walking off saying the light’s bad... it should never be up to the players.

“Kurtis Patterson, the captain of NSW out there pleading, trying to get the umpires to start this game, but the umpire, Phil Gillespie, is saying it is unsafe to play. This is just a joke.”

Former Australian Test coach Darren Lehmann was also fuming.

“I find this amazing Brendon, especially since the last ball that was delivered in this game went for six, so they must be able to see,” he said.

“So NSW tried to do the right thing by bowling spin, to make it safe, but because Nathan Lyon bowled eight overs, he can’t bowl anymore."

Cricket fans left fuming over 'disgusting' farce

Julian continued: “This is just a sad indictment of cricket in Australia.

"Peter Handscomb argued with NSW to stay out there for another over so they could get ahead on the par score, they bowled one over of spin and hit the last ball for six, getting above the par score at the 29th over mark.

“Then the umpires have gone, it is bad light, we need to go off.

“Very good shot for the last ball when it was dark and it was meant to be unsafe.

“This is a sad indictment for cricket in Australia when it gets to the situation in a one-day game like this, when the umpire stands out in the middle with his light meter and says it is too dark.

“They got seven off the last over, he hit the last ball for six then walked off the ground saying the light’s bad, it is just ridiculous.

“A poor example of when cricket and the umpires cannot get on... one minute it is not safe, the next Victoria squeeze another over out."

The unlikely finish overshadowed Daniel Hughes's earlier heroics, with the NSW opener striking an impressive 117 and extending his record of most one-day centuries for the Blues to eight.

with AAP

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