The Buzz

Toilet humour at Kensington Oval

Ryan Harris had to be summoned from the toilet in order to help complete a dramatic victory for Australia over West Indies in Bridgetown

Daniel Brettig
Daniel Brettig
25-Feb-2013
Ryan Harris had to be summoned from the toilet in order to help complete a dramatic victory for Australia over West Indies in Bridgetown. Harris' captain Michael Clarke had chosen to make a shuffle to the lower order batting, promoting both he and Ben Hilfenhaus above Peter Siddle after they made significant contributions in the first innings. Now slated to bat at No. 8 at the fall of the sixth wicket, Harris required a comfort break as Australia drew nearer to the target. But the loss of Matthew Wade's wicket forced a brief moment of panic when Harris wasn't visible on the balcony. Team-mates rushed in to get him, and he was soon trudging out to help collect the remaining runs. After the match, Clarke explained his decision while Harris chuckled about his toilet break timing.
"The way Ryano and Hilf batted in the first innings, they were full of confidence and that was my reason for it," Clarke said. "I think the time they had in the middle, they had seen the conditions in the first innings and were used to that batting and were confident. They'd both scored runs against that opposition in the first innings so whatever we needed I thought those two guys could do it."

Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here