Ocker bad boy Johnson needs full security

RICHARD SIMPSON

CONVICT ESCORT: Controversial Australian cricketer Mitchell Johnson was accompanied by security staff at Eden Park as he made his way off the pitch during the second one-day international against the Black Caps.

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Australia's bad boy bowler Mitchell Johnson had two security guards riding shotgun as he walked off the field at the end of the Australian innings in yesterday's one-day international against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland.

The guards accompanied the lefthander as he walked back to the pavilion to make sure no one in the 13,500-strong capacity crowd attacked Johnson or threw anything at him after Johnson had been heckled and taunted by the sell-out crowd.

Johnson is the current bete noir of the tour, quickly replacing Shane Watson, after he head-butted New Zealand batsman Scott Styris during the dramatic opening one-day international in Napier.

In that match an irate Johnson twice clashed with match-winner Styris, once in a bump of shoulders and then in a heated head-to-head clash initiated by the Australian.

New Zealand Cricket operations manager Tim Murdoch, who oversees what happens at the ground, told the Sunday Star-Times the security guards were used because Johnson is like "a red rag to a bull for some people right now".

Murdoch said having security accompany a player is not new, and had happened when the Australians were here in 2005 when some of the crowd behaviour was out of control.

"It's because the close rivalry between the countries and as a result the crowds are a bit more aggressive and we operate at a higher level of security than against other countries."

Murdoch was coy on whether the Australians had demanded extra security for fear something would happen to Johnson.

"The Australians like to meet the head of security at every venue before the game starts."

Following the mid-week contretemps, Styris accepted a level one charge under the ICC's code of conduct and was fined 15% of his match fee. Johnson accepted a grade two charge and was fined 60% of his match fee, with many concerned he had not been banned for two one-dayers.

Australia levelled the one-day series at 1-1 in rain-smattered match, beating New Zealand by 12 runs under the Duckworth Lewis method and denying captain Daniel Vettori the chance to play an heroic match-winning innings. Vettori was last man out for 70.

- © Fairfax NZ News