BBL 2023: David Warner and Matthew Wade clash in ‘unsavoury’ on-field spat

Things got physical between two former Aussie teammates in the Big Bash in a fiery incident that has been described as ‘unsavoury’. Watch the vision.

Tensions ignited between former Australian teammates David Warner and Matthew Wade in the Big Bash after an on-field spat that has been labelled as “unsavoury” by past player Kerry O’Keeffe.

Things got physical between the pair in the Hobart Hurricanes’ win over the Sydney Thunder after captain Chris Green appeared to fire up at Wade for pulling out of his batting stance as he was coming in to bowl.

WATCH THE INCIDENT IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

Footage before the mid-innings break then showed Warner shoving Wade, with the Hurricanes captain throwing his arms in the air after the contact.

Wade was dismissed by Thunder paceman Daniel Sams three balls later, but neither side remonstrated as he trudged back to the pavilion.

Fox Cricket expert O’Keeffe described the heated exchange as “inappropriate”, saying that their body language suggested that the incident was not jovial.

David Warner shoves Matthew Wade in a fiery incident. Picture: Fox Cricket

Matthew Wade throws his arms in the air after being shoved by David Warner. Picture: Fox Cricket

“That was inappopriate. I don’t know what went on between the pair, was it jocular? We will find out later,” O’Keeffe said on commentary.

“They have been longtime teammates for Australia – their history goes back a long way as buddies.

“It was unsavoury, you can’t have contact like that. Whether they were half joking I don’t know, the body language suggested not, that there was an issue out there.”

Wade’s batting partner Tim David, who was the star of the show in the Hurricane’ triumph with an unbeaten 76 from 41 deliveries, said that he tried to defuse the tension between Wade and Green out in the middle.

While he didn’t touch on the incident between Warner and Wade, he claimed Green and Wade’s verbal jousting was “pretty friendly”.

“Obviously we know Wadey loves getting into the contest and being a bit feisty. Greeny was winding him up — they were suggesting I was going to get run out again,” David chuckled on Fox Cricket.

“I was just there trying to defuse it and they were just going at each other a little bit so it was pretty friendly to be honest.

“Everyone plays against each other so much so if it got a little bit further than that there’s no point.”

Warner and Wade shook hands post-game with no sign of animosity.

It is not the first controversy Wade has been involved in this season, with the Hurricanes star slapped with a one-match ban from Cricket Australia last month after a third code of conduct breach in the space of 18 months.

Aussie Star’s backyard solution to ridiculous BBL rule

— Ronny Lerner

Melbourne Stars captain Adam Zampa believes fielders should be allowed to catch the ball with one hand in order to dismiss an opposing batsman who hits the Marvel Stadium roof.

Remarkably, in the Melbourne derby between the Stars and Renegades on Saturday night, Stars batsmen Joe Clarke and Beau Webster both hit the roof.

Not a bad way to bring up a six 😉

Joe Clarke just hit the roof at Marvel Stadium!#BBL12pic.twitter.com/TeDDzSkeiH

— Melbourne Stars (@StarsBBL) January 14, 2023

Unbelievable.

That hits the roof AGAIN for another six 😱 #BBL12pic.twitter.com/yPZJGJ0ATU

— Melbourne Stars (@StarsBBL) January 14, 2023

But rather than being ruled dead balls by the umpire, under BBL rules both Clarke and Webster were awarded sixes, despite both shots going straight up into the air and almost certainly providing a catching chance for the Renegades had they been playing at an open-air stadium.

The controversial shots prompted Zampa to call for a staple rule of backyard cricket all around the country to be introduced to the Big Bash League.

Joe Clarke launches into a shot that would ultimately hit the Marvel Stadium roof. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images

“Why not? It’s honestly a little bit bizarre that they call it six when the ball goes straight up into the air,” Zampa said post-match.

“As a bowler you expect (when you) deceive a batsman to at least be a chance of getting a wicket.

“Maybe build the roof a bit higher,” he quipped.

“When it happens, you know how lucky you are, it’s nothing about getting on top of the bowler, or anything like that, it’s just pure luck.”

Renegades stand-in captain Aaron Finch wasn’t too fussed by the controversial sixes, despite how close they came to depriving his team their narrow six-run win.

He wasn’t sure if the rule should be changed again, either, after originally being deemed a dead ball, before being tweaked to its current interpretation after Finch himself hit the Marvel Stadium roof during a game a decade ago.

“The rule is what it is, it’s the same for both teams, so I don’t think you can complain,” he said.

“But it would’ve been two dismissals … so that makes a big difference in a game.

“It’s hard to police isn’t it? Because you have these beams that hang over (the field of play), they’re already over the boundary so if it hits that, you should get a six, (but) if you hit it straight up you get a six, I don’t know.

Despite the two roof hit sixes, the Renegades came away with the Melbourne Derby win. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images

“But I think the game is better with the roof closed at Marvel, because there’s so many buildings around (the Docklands precinct), there’s a lot of light that comes in and if you’re fielding it can be really difficult to see as the sun is setting off the seats.”

The Stars’ finals dream is all but over, and Zampa couldn’t hide his disappointment.

“It would’ve been nice going into the last three games with something to play for,” he said.

“It was always going to be a tough season without the best player in the comp (Glenn Maxwell due to a broken leg), and obviously ‘Stoin’ (Marcus Stoinis) has been out quite a bit as well.

“When you miss two experienced guys like that, it’s a big loss, but I think we were good enough to make finals this year at least.”

Renegades batsman Sam Harper is in a rich vein of form, having now hit three consecutive fifties, and Finch was full of praise for the No.3.

“The way that he’s managing his innings at the moment is brilliant, he’s obviously got all the shots so the way that he’s constructing it has been outstanding,” Finch said.

“Maybe be a kick in the backside (helped Harper) as well after missing a couple of games.”

One batsman who isn’t enjoying a good run is star import Martin Guptill, who is averaging just 15.86 in his seven games for the Renegades, but Finch was still “100 per cent” confident the New Zealander could turn things around in the back-end of the season.

“He’s one of the best players in the world,” Finch said.

Veteran Renegades spinner Fawad Ahmed appeared to hurt his knee late in the game against the Stars, but Finch was hopeful he would be available for their next game against the Thunder in Sydney on Thursday.