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Australia fan admits to England hotel prank
A Sydney newspaper says an Australian cricket supporter was responsible for setting off a fire alarm at the England team's hotel in Leeds.
- Associated Press
- Updated: August 09, 2009 09:20 AM IST
Read Time: 2 min
Sydney:
A Sydney newspaper says an Australian cricket supporter was responsible for setting off a fire alarm at the England team's hotel in Leeds, England on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test.
Warren Livingston, head of the Australian fan group the "Fanatics," told The Sunday Telegraph that one of its 100-member group had managed to set the alarm off at 4:30 a.m. with the intention of disrupting the English team's sleep, describing it as "good old-fashioned Aussie hijinks."
"Yes it was one of our guys who did it as a bit of a prank, I got a text message after it happened," Livingston told the newspaper from England.
"At first I thought ... we're just doing our bit for Australia. But I can't condone this sort of thing. I don't want any trouble. We've all had a big laugh and it might have made a difference, the way they batted."
England's Test team was evacuated with other guests and staff while two fire engines searched the premises for the source of the alarm. Players were left standing in the street in their pajamas for more than 20 minutes until the all-clear was given for them to return to their beds.
Just hours later the England team traveled to Headingley where it was dismissed for 102 in its first innings after winning the toss in the series it leads 1-0.
Australia has dominated the fourth Test and needs five second-innings wickets Sunday on the third day, leading by 261 runs, to claim a likely innings victory. That would mean the five-match series will hinge on the final Test at The Oval from August 20-24.
![](https://s.ndtvimg.com/images/misc/fullImage/ver1/a/ashes2009.jpg)
Warren Livingston, head of the Australian fan group the "Fanatics," told The Sunday Telegraph that one of its 100-member group had managed to set the alarm off at 4:30 a.m. with the intention of disrupting the English team's sleep, describing it as "good old-fashioned Aussie hijinks."
"Yes it was one of our guys who did it as a bit of a prank, I got a text message after it happened," Livingston told the newspaper from England.
"At first I thought ... we're just doing our bit for Australia. But I can't condone this sort of thing. I don't want any trouble. We've all had a big laugh and it might have made a difference, the way they batted."
England's Test team was evacuated with other guests and staff while two fire engines searched the premises for the source of the alarm. Players were left standing in the street in their pajamas for more than 20 minutes until the all-clear was given for them to return to their beds.
Just hours later the England team traveled to Headingley where it was dismissed for 102 in its first innings after winning the toss in the series it leads 1-0.
Australia has dominated the fourth Test and needs five second-innings wickets Sunday on the third day, leading by 261 runs, to claim a likely innings victory. That would mean the five-match series will hinge on the final Test at The Oval from August 20-24.
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