8. The Dirt in the Pocket England vs. South Africa, 1994
For fans of English cricket, playing South Africa often comes close to the Ashes. The matches are closely-fought contests with great displays of fast bowling and gutsy batting, and like the Ashes there is plenty of aggression and controversy. But for all the twists and turns in the Kevin Pietersen situation that is overshadowing this most recent series, this on-field incident is pretty hard to top. On the third day of the first test at Lords, South Africa were batting well and on course for a good total in their second innings. Englands bowlers looked below-par, snatching a wicket here and there but failing to keep pressure on the batsmen. And then, TV cameras caught the England captain and opening batsman Michael Atherton appearing to rub something from his trouser pocket onto the ball. Under the laws of cricket it is illegal to alter the ball using any artificial substance or ones fingers, e.g. lifting up the seam or scuffing it with ones fingernails. Atherton was reported to the match referee Peter Burge and denied using any substance to alter the ball. It later emerged that Atherton had kept some earth in his trouser pocket, which he claimed was to dry his sweaty hands and thereby keep the ball in good condition. There were widespread calls for Atherton to resign the captaincy, with Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam saying he had been caught red-handed. He has to be replaced.
What Happened Next: Michael Atherton retained the England captaincy, but was fined £2000 by the Chairman of Selectors, Ray Illingworth, for not being totally honest with the match referee. South Africa won the test by 356 runs and the series was drawn 1-1.