Moscow Protests

Ponting - out - out - out

Thousands of cricketers have attended the biggest rally in Moscow since the fall of the Soviet United Cricket League.  As many as 50,000 supporters gathered to protest at former skipper Vladimir Ponting for giving up his wicket so weakly in the second Test against New Zealand.

Ponting

Voices in the crowd told of their rage when Ponting shaped to leave a ball from Tim Southee only to find it holding its line.  Despite an inelegant swish the great leader was unable to prevent the ball crashing into his pad in front  of middle stump.  He was on his way to the pavilion before the finger went up.  Older protestors say they had not seen anything so shameful since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Putin

'Ponting out, out, out,' chanted the crowd - leaving observers undecided whether this was a call for the great leader to be dropped or an indisputable statement of fact that he was LBW.

Meanwhile there have been reciprocal protests by voters in Australia at the allegations that Ricky Putin's United Russia party perpetrated widespread fraud during Sunday's polls.  Putin is firm that the UDRS will not come into play in this series.

New Zealand start the 3rd day of the Test in a strong position 153 ahead with 7 wickets standing.  There were no protests in Christchurch.