The English crowds booed David Warner all through Australia’s seven-wicket win over Afghanistan, but he responded with 89no in a man-of-the-match performance.
They booed, they chanted and they even dressed as sandpaper.
And this was only on the first day of England’s summer.
But with three-and-a-half long months ahead, David Warner responded in the best possible way: With runs.
Some 434 days after that fateful day in Cape Town, Warner cast aside the ugly fallout of the ball-tampering scandal to finish 89no in his first official game back for Australia against Afghanistan.
Steve Smith was almost there at the end too, caught for 18 with just three runs required as the defending champions began their World Cup campaign with a seven-wicket win in Bristol.
At one point early in the afternoon Warner signed autographs and posed for photos with fans on the boundaries.
But the niceties were few and far between.
He was booed onto the field when he walked out to bat and again when he hit his first boundary.
They booed again when he brought up his half-century, and they reached their crescendo when he was named man of the match.
There were jeers for Smith too when he walked out and joined his former vice-captain.
Two spectators dressed up as sandpaper stood on an overlooking balcony holding a big image of a cricket ball.
At times, chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie; Cheats, Cheats, Cheats” broke out.
But it did little to stop Warner.
He was cagier than usual with the bat, his first 20 runs coming off 40 balls as Aaron Finch did all the damage at the other end.
But the signs were still there in his 114 balls in the middle.
He twice cut balls behind point to the boundary with very little room offered outside off stump, one bringing up his half-century off Rashid Khan.
He was quick as ever between the wickets, and his only real chance came on 10 when he was dropped in the slips off Hamid Hassan and the ball went for four.
Smith’s innings wasn’t as long as the pair combined for a 49-run partnership, but he already let his bat do the talking with a century in last month’s warm-up game over England.
He also had an immediate impact in the field on Saturday, forcing a mix-up and running out Mohammad Nabi when he dived to cut off a ball one-handed.
Camo McD
Roar Guru
Was at the game, feel the booing was more pantomime stuff rather than genuinely aggressive. Would be v surprised if Smith or Warner were worried. In fact the only crowd issue I saw was an unfunny, loud Aussie guy screaming stuff like 'Break his face Starcy' and generally sledging the Afghan players all day. Every single delivery. What a hero. Security took him away at one point to the roars of the crowd but sadly he returned. Thanks to him, this Aussie supported Afghanistan for the day!
James
Guest
Yeah could you imagine say the Australian coach saying that some opposition player cheated after not walking and then saying that the 'Australian public give it to him right from the word go for the whole [Australian] summer'! That would be madness. Warner is a paragon of virtue, all the man did was sledge his entire career and tell a new player over whom he had influence to rub sandpaper on a cricket ball. Sheesh.
Drinkinmybabygoodbye
Guest
Just imagine the Australian media going into a frenzy if this was the Australian crowds. “Ugly Australians”. Regardless of what the virtue signalling brigade think , he was always an awesome cricketer, and I think his time out has made him even better. Warner will get player of the series. Suck it up.