Cricket: Witnesses claim man ejected from Hagley Oval following atercation with offical over abuse of Australian players was Australian himself

Security detain a spectator during day four of the test at Hagley Oval. Photo / Getty

Witnesses claim the man ejected from Hagley Oval yesterday following an ugly confrontation with an official over his heckling of the touring Australian side is in fact Australian himself.

The incident occurred in the afternoon of the fourth day of the second test between the tourists and the Black Caps, after the vocal fan was accused of directing verbal abuse towards Australian fast bowler Josh Hazelwood.

He was removed from the ground by security following a physical altercation with a ground official over the distasteful nature of his comments, after Hazelwood had earned the crowd's ire for his dissent when appealing for the wicket of Kane Williamson.

The boorish fan quickly became the centre of a furore over the treatment dished out to the Australian team by Kiwi crowds over the course of the summer.

Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported yesterday that the tourists are seething at the lack of action taken by ground security towards the abuse, with some players alleging their partners and children were targeted in certain instances.

However, other Hagley Oval spectators claim the report was inaccurate, believing the poster boy for bad Kiwi behaviour was in fact an Australian, who was apparently unbiased in his abuse of players from both teams.

"The guy here in the picture who got chucked out was an Aussie who was just heckling anyone he could with no real targets," Alastair Smith posted on the Veitchy on Sport Facebook page.

"He was right in front of me and it was Kiwi fans who first asked for him to be moved.

"The guy was being an idiot, pure and simple. The rest of the 5 days I heard nothing more than banter. This report is over dramatic."

Smith's version of events was backed up by another crowd member, Jane Geary, who attended all five days of the second test and witnessed both sets of supporters engaging in verbal banter without hearing anything "distasteful".

Geary described the offending spectator's comments as "not abusive just annoying" and insisted he was Australian and not a New Zealander as was widely reported.

"Yes there were the usual dickhead comments. .from some guys who think they are funny..but aren't," posted Geary.

"I observed this from both Kiwi and Aussies. But I can't say I heard anything 'distasteful' .(maybe I was just lucky).

"Though I did resort to listening to Wadds and Coney on Radio sport once his incessant jabbering became too much.but again not abusive just annoying.

"Also I wish the reporting was accurate from kiwi and aussie media on the guy thrown out yesterday. It was an Aussie abusing his own players at times."

Alex Downham was another spectator who took in all five day's play from different positions around Hagley Oval, who says the majority of the comments from the crowd were not of an unsavoury nature.

Downham noted a section of vocal Australian fans were "annoying" but was more disturbed by New Zealand supporters directing abuse towards the Black Caps bowlers.

"Today there was a very vocal Aussie contingent that were very vocal, annoying yes, but nothing over the top or not expected from a victorious touring party," posted Downham.

"The worst I heard was from NZ supporters giving NZ bowlers, specifically Wagner before his wickets, abuse, which was embarrassing.

"I've heard worse, especially as an AB's supporter at the Sydney Bledisloe last year."