KEY POINTS:
The Mexican wave ban became a Mexican stand-off yesterday as Australian cricket fans defied police orders to keep their hands by their sides.
As the first wave rippled through the crowd, armed police moved in. But they faced problems because of the sheer number of fans taking part
in the mass wave at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Senior Constable Wayne Wilson of Victoria police said last night "a couple of people" had been ejected for trying to incite Mexican waves.
Those people had not been fined but their exit was a "severe deterrent".
"It just comes down to a few bozos who wreck a day at the cricket for the average punter," said Mr Wilson.
"We had one incident where a five-year-old boy got a pie thrown in his face."
More than 200 CCTV cameras scanned the 41,000-strong crowd while 300 armed police and security personnel waited to pounce.
Plain-clothed officers hiding in the throng used hand-held devices to beam live pictures of suspects back to base.
Anyone who stood up with their hands in the air risked being thrown out of the ground and fined A$210 ($240).
Every member of the crowd at the one-day international between Australia and New Zealand was a potential suspect.
"We are not here to be the fun police," said Superintendent Stephen Leane, the officer in charge of ground security yesterday.
"We are here to make sure that the people leave the ground in the same condition they came in," he said.
Spectators were bombarded by warning signs and announcements as they arrived yesterday, but many branded the operation ridiculous.
Banning the Mexican wave is un-Australian, said Matthew Newton, a 22-year-old fan from Melbourne who set up an online petition after authorities announced their crackdown last week.
"It's as if Cricket Australia doesn't want people to enjoy going to the cricket any more," he told the Age newspaper.
The ban was enforced after Cricket Australia decided the best way to stop people throwing objects in the air during a wave was to ban the wave altogether.
Mr Leane said that was necessary because waves had become a precursor for the hurling of missiles.
At the last international in Melbourne, he said Mexican waves were responsible for injuries to around half of the fans who received treatment by medical staff.
"There's a danger someone could be seriously hurt by a missile and we can't afford that," he said.
The ban was introduced for Friday's game between Australia and England in Sydney.
