Rogers: I know the guy who distracted me

Cricket365
August 2, 2013

Australia batsman Chris Rogers fell 16 runs short of his maiden Test century on Thursday, trapped LBW by Graeme Swann, after a long saga to get spectators to settle down behind the bowler's arm caused much distraction.

With Rogers' concentration broken, he was vulnerable to the spinner, but though he didn't blame that for his dismissal, he said he did know the person who caught his eye just before the fatal ball was bowled.

The spectator in question turned out to be Daniel Salpietro, the Victoria and Adelaide Strikers player, who was in the area playing club cricket with fellow Bushrangers batsman John Wells.

Rogers was serene about the incident, and went on to joke about it, saying: "These things crop up every now and again. I'll make a phone call because I know the guy who was up there. I'm not going to blame him. I think. Much."

The culprit tried to defend his actions, saying he was actually attempting to help Rogers by closing the door that was causing the drama, but the camera caught him moving at that exact moment, as did Rogers' eye.

Salpietro said: "What actually happened was really down to the steward in the pavilion. The players wanted the door near me closing but he didn't seem to grasp what was going on.

"It had happened a few times over the previous overs and the steward was still not doing anything about it despite me and Jon Wells telling him that the door needed closing and people had to be stopped from walking through.

"So I decided to take it into my own hands to stand up and close the door and that's when the camera caught me – and I guess it makes it worse because it was Chris who was distracted and then he got out.

"We are team-mates in club cricket back home and I will have to phone Chris tonight. I play club cricket with him back home and we are quite good mates.

"I'm sure he will see the funny side of the situation eventually. I've been copping a bundle of stick on Twitter with the lads at Rishton telling me I got Rogers out but honestly it wasn't my fault."