Jonny Bairstow went for a walk with the ball still in play, and was stumped. The laws of the game say he was out. The spirit of the game suggested (not demanded, for you cannot impose the spirit on anybody) that he ought to have been recalled by Australian captain Pat Cummins. But the spirit has to be a two-way street – we shall come to that in a moment. First, let’s enjoy some of the reactions.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose rise to the top job had something to do with him stumping his predecessor, thought Australia had contravened the spirit of cricket. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was proud of the winning Australian men’s and women’s teams and that his country was right behind Pat Cummins and Alyssa Healy (the captain of the women’s team). It was unclear whether he (as opposed to his country) thought it was right or wrong to stump Bairstow.
