Australian rugby league side Canberra Raiders took advantage of their English star player when mocking Jonny Bairstow’s controversial Ashes dismissal.
Bairstow hit the headlines during last week’s second Ashes Test.
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Wicketkeeper Alex Carey took advantage of Bairstow stepping out of his crease, thinking it was the end of an over, by throwing the ball at the stumps to stump the England star.
The incident caused uproar in England, sparking a debate between application of the laws of cricket and playing in the spirit of the game.
Bairstow hasn’t received too much sympathy Down Under with sections of the Australian press labelling their Ashes counterparts as ‘cry babies.’
And it appears that same sentiment has transcended into rugby league with Canberra players taking it upon themselves to reenact the contentious moment against St George Illawarra Dragons on Friday night.
After scoring a try, the players used the corner flag as stumps before bowling the ball towards teammate Elliott Whitehead who was tasked with imitating Bairstow.
As the makeshift wicket keeper gathers the ball, the player imitating Bairstow walks forward before being stumped, leading to a mass celebration for the Raiders players.
To add more controversy to the celebration, Whitehead is a born and bred Englishman and played his part in mocking Bairstow.
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Whitehead was born in Bradford and represented the Bradford Bulls and Catalan Dragons before his move down under in 2016.
The club’s media event got in on the act by posting a clip of the celebration alongside the caption: “One of the all time try celebrations.”
