Hussain stirs the sportsmanship debate

England captain's refusal to walk after Gillespie appeals for catch casts new doubt over future use of television umpires

It was as well that England had made a large deposit in their account at the Bank of Sporting Morality barely 24 hours earlier in the fourth Test. They needed considerable reserves to meet the hefty withdrawal they made yesterday at the Melbourne branch.

The initial investment had been made by the England batsman, Mark Butcher, who won wide approval for refusing to claim a slip catch offered by Australia's captain, Stephen Waugh.

Although the incident was referred to the third umpire, Butcher twice said that he had not taken it cleanly. Three cheers for Butch; England might be losing but they are doing so with dignity was the general opinion.

Towards the close of play on the second day, another in which the home side pressed ahead inexorably to leave England trailing by 454 with only seven first-innings wickets in hand, the tourists raided their funds of credit.

Nasser Hussain, the team's captain, innocuously chipped a Stuart MacGill full toss to mid-on, where Jason Gillespie fell forward, took the ball and claimed the catch. Hussain looked out for all the money in the Bank of Morality; he stayed at the crease.

The umpire, David Orchard, standing in his 36th Test match, declined to make the decision. He referred it. Several replays proved inconclusive, as they invariably do, and the verdict was not out. Hussain was merely exercising his rights; he probably felt that he had got away with it. But he was not about to accept Gillespie's word on the matter.

The Australian batsman, Justin Langer, who made 250 in Australia's innings, said: "I have said since Adelaide that, in an ideal world, I would like to see more onus back on the players. That's why Mark Butcher was applauded so much. If a player says he caught it, the batsman should take his word for it. If a replay showed it wasn't a clean catch, a player would be branded a cheat for the rest of his career."

Langer's mention of Adelaide was a reference to his catch at point off Michael Vaughan, which was controversially turned down by the third umpire. Vaughan went on to make 177.

England's coach, Duncan Fletcher, insisted that it should be left to the umpire even if the television technology was lacking. "If the umpires on the field can't tell, that means there's a doubt," he said.

But the International Cricket Council seem certain to return to the judgement of on-field umpires on whether a catch carried when the cricket committee convenes next April. There have been too many dodgy incidents.

Tell that to poor Butcher. He was given out lbw for 25 to the previously aggrieved Gillespie. Instantly, the batsman looked alarmed. The umpire's digit went up. Butcher shook his head at the injustice. Replays showed a thick inside edge.

So that left the ridiculous position in the match of England having a batsman who was certainly not out back in the pavilion and a batsman who should have been given out still at the crease.

And then there was the revered Waugh. He may have been the beneficiary of Butcher's honesty the day before, but it still did not prevent him standing his ground, and leaving the umpire to make the decision, when he edged Craig White behind.

It remained only for Langer to lambast the "Barmy Army" for giving Brett Lee a hard time. "No ball," they chanted with each, extremely fast Lee delivery, in reference to recent accusations about the legality of his action.

"It was a disgrace," said Langer. "These people stand behind a fence drinking beer, with most of them 50 kilos over weight, making ridiculous comments. It's easy for someone to say that, from behind a fence. They're within their rights because they've paid their money, but there's still some integrity in life," he insisted.

You could not help thinking that, if such conduct was unbecoming, the players and fans deserved each other.