Umpire Nigel Llong damaged a door in the umpire’s room at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s final home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 4. Llong has since paid for the repairs and the matter has been reported to the Committee of Administrators.
It is understood that Llong kicked the door after a controversial end to the first innings, which included a final-over no-ball that was called off Umesh Yadav’s bowling, although replays suggested that the delivery was legal. After the delivery, Llong had a discussion with Virat Kohli and Umesh when the giant screens at the ground showed that the bowler had not overstepped. Llong, however, did not change his decision despite protests from both bowler and captain. The incorrect decision effectively added five runs to Sunrisers’ total, with the extra final delivery of the innings being hit for four. The error, however, did not hurt Royal Challengers, having won the match with four balls to spare.
He then returned to the umpires’ room, when the incident took place. Although damaged and dented, the door’s glass did not shatter. The nature of the incident, however, has forced Karnataka State Cricket Association to report the matter to the Committee of Administrators after consultation with match referee V Narayan Kutty.
“It was an unfortunate incident,” KSCA secretary R Sudhakar Rao told ESPNcricinfo. “He gave a wrong no-ball decision in the match, and Virat went and spoke to him, and Umesh also spoke to him. So he might have been upset, and frustrated. He came back and kicked the door to the umpires’ room after the first innings. So there was a crack and a dent in the door. The glass didn’t break, fortunately.
“After the game I found out, and I met the match referee. I spoke to him, and we had a discussion, and I have reported the matter to the CoA.
“He paid us Rs 5000 for the damages. He was civil about it, but he had caused damage, so we had to charge him for it. He didn’t complain about it.”
Source: ESPN Crickinfo