Batsman head-butts fielder

A club match in Christchurch, New Zealand, turned ugly last Saturday when one player allegedly head-butted another before being punched himself.

According to the Australian Associated Press (AAP), the incident occurred in the match between the Old Boys and Sydenham cricket clubs. An Old Boys batsman was dismissed, and was sledged by a member of the opposition as he walked off. The batsman reportedly then took matters into his own hands and head-butted the fielder. During the scuffle another Old Boys player ran onto the field and hit the Sydenham fieldsman from behind.

Old Boys officials were unavailable for comment, but Sydenham's vice-president Glenn Hooper thought the incident was appalling. He said, "This sort of thing has no place in what's supposedly called the gentleman's game." He added: "We are in the process of setting up a disciplinary hearing for the people involved from our side, and I would expect the Old Boys club to be doing the same."

The Canterbury Cricket Association will conduct their own investigation into the incident, and may well ban the players involved. In England, the Surrey Championship recently imposed a three-year ban on the Hampshire offspinner Shaun Udal after he was found guilty of "physical violence on and threats to an opposition player" during a club game.