Waugh welcomes move to prevent crowd invasion

Nottingham, June 19: Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh has welcomed practical moves to prevent the sort of crowd invasion that left a steward with two broken ribs on Sunday.

With his team facing Pakistan on Tuesday, he hopes they will work. Trespassers will be arrested and plastic fences used to stop charging spectators during the day/night one-day game at Trent Bridge.

"It has been very impressive so far," Waugh said on Monday after attending a security meeting at Trent Bridge with team manager Steve Bernard. "We have to wait and see how they work out. I think it is a good step in the right direction.

"I raised concerns two years ago when we arrived for the World Cup and I did so again this time. But it has fallen on deaf years. It is nice to know finally they're doing something about it."

The stringent measures have been taken in the wake of a second pitch invasion that forced England skipper Alec Stewart to make the unprecedented move to concede the match to Pakistan when the tourists were four short of winning at Headingley on Sunday.

Charging spectators left behind a steward who suffered two broken ribs and a damaged spleen while trying to stop fans stealing the stumps. The stewart later said he acted in the best interest of players' and umpires' safety.