Caborn, the Lord's mandarins, the MCC, must be seen to be doing something, anything. The snarling dogs as espoused so poetically by the ECB chairman, Lord MacLaurin, may not be a starter but there must be sustained vigilance and a continuing will lest the position get out of control.The crowd had indeed been good-natured, if boisterous, throughout the day, and if they ran on to the pitch when the match ended at 4.45pm there was no indication of what was to follow. As tradition dictates, several hundred others who had wandered on much more sedately gathered in front of the pavilion. Rival fans immediately started barracking each other and the players on the balcony were subject to abuse. Balls and other objects arrived.Bevan, who was not needed to bat in the match, was struck by the can just as Waqar Younis, the Pakistani captain, was receiving his award for being player of the series. Although the presentations were completed indoors the atmosphere had changed completely. Many fans wandered round aimlessly and hundreds gathered in a block below the Australian dressing room.

Stewards mingled with them to ensure there was no further trouble.Waugh was profoundly annoyed that he again found himself discussing spectators instead of his wonderful players. The match was a repeat of the World Cup final two years and three days ago. If that made it bitterly disappointing as a contest, it emphasised Australia's superiority.Then they had won by eight wickets in chasing 133, now they yielded 20 more runs but lost one fewer wicket. For all that period Pakistan had waited for the opportunity to make amends for their nightmare performance.

Instead, they relived it.The board shows that Australia bowled out Pakistan for 152 in 42.3 overs and knocked off the runs in 26.3 overs, winning with a boundary. There was hardly time for deeds of individual valour but all the Australian bowlers were menacing and all their batsmen (all three, that is) were in supreme form. Perhaps special mentions should be reserved for Brett Lee, who really looks the genuine article and Ricky Ponting, who is, and in 24 balls gave a rich exhibition. Inzamam-ul-Haq, who had shown blatant dissent in his long, slow walk to the pavilion after being given out lbw, was later fined 50 per cent of his match fee and suspended for two one-day matches.All was overshadowed in one moment. Ten yards from where Bevan was struck stood Stephen Speight, the steward who was injured during the Headingley crowd invasion a week ago.

He had been brought to the ground by the ECB as a guest of honour.. When John Bracewell arrived in Gloucestershire the greeting in some quarters was less than all-embracing. When John Bracewell arrived in Gloucestershire the greeting in some quarters was less than all-embracing. He had been there about five minutes as the county were bowled out for 89 in his first match, which did not make for glowing initial judgements. Most of the kinder appraisals suggested that it was ridiculous to expect that a New Zealander, of all cricketing folk, had anything to teach in the place where W G Grace strutted his stuff, and any opinions he might have on the direction or state of the England team were unlikely to be sought.

Not now.Since he also had a Test batting average of 20 and a bowling average of 35 rather than the other way round, said the wags, the implication was obvious. Not for the first time where Glorious Gloster were concerned, the Doctor was probably turning in his grave Boy, were they wrong. Three years and five one-day trophies later, including a treble in 2000, Bracewell has kept W G perfectly still while moving mountains. He stewarded to glory a squad who could never be accused of underachieving Nobody, least of all themselves, expected any.