Lloyd defends Lee's beamer

Clive Lloyd says Lee's intentions were good © Getty Images

Clive Lloyd, the match referee in the ongoing one-day series between Australia and New Zealand, has defended Brett Lee's beamers as `unintentional'. This comes in the wake of claims made by John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, that Lee had bowled beamers at least four times during the season and that legal action could be taken against him if it caused any injury. Brendon McCullum was the latest recipient of a waist-high Lee scorcher in the third one-dayer.

"I didn't see a problem with it at all," Lloyd was quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald. "It was unintentional, that's what the umpires said and they didn't find it necessary to take any action. That's it, as far as I'm concerned."

John Buchanan, the Australian coach, also deflected Bracewell's claims. "At the moment they're unsuccessful on the field," Buchanan said. He hinted that Bracewell was attempting to find ways and means of breaching Australia's defences.

"If we just look at the last number of one-day games we've played, he's bowled something like 600 or 700 balls and we're saying this is a reckless attitude," Buchanan said of Lee. "Four of those deliveries have been about waist-high. I think anybody who understands fast bowling understands what we're trying to do out there and wouldn't make those comments."