Express & Star

Video - Piers Morgan grounded by Brett Lee over

By
Published
Last updated

Fleet Street mogul turned chat show host Piers Morgan was given a taste of the Ashes today – and it left him on his backside.

moreThe former newspaper editor was left on the ground after facing six balls from former Aussie paceman Brett Lee in the MCG nets.

And at one stage the 48-year-old was sent tumbling as he attempted to dodge a 85mph bouncer.

Morgan had taken up the challenge after calling out the struggling England team on Twitter, urging them to "grow a pair" and claiming he'd "love" to face current Aussie speedster Mitchell Johnson.

Lee called his bluff, offering him the net session which took place in front of 2,000 baying fans as well as Johnson and fellow seamer Peter Siddle.

Morgan, nicknamed by one Australian newspaper as a "Pompous Pom", was hit by four of the deliveries and later posted a photo of his badly bruised arm on social media sites.

Lee said he'd done a "public service" by inflicting a bit of pain.

"He got hurt but he didn't get maimed, so that's a positive step," the former Aussie paceman said.

"You have to give full credit to the guy – he's going to be really sore tomorrow. He has a serious, serious lump on his wrist, he got a couple in the ribs, one on the back – that noise it made was a sickening blow.

"But he kept on going, so you have to take your hat off to the guy."

Morgan, whose cricketing career had previously reached the heights of village matches in Sussex, joked he felt "like Brian Close in 1976" after the West Indies' infamous pace attack left the Yorkshire and England veteran bruised and battered.

But he said his ordeal hadn't changed his opinion about the English batsmen.

"It's made me reassess what you need out here on an Ashes tour and that is courage, fortitude and a Churchillian spirit of never giving in despite overwhelming odds," he said.

"It was quite intimidating – a big crowd and the Aussies all came out to watch a proper Pom with a bit of guts to him and I think they were all quite impressed.

"I came to do a job – I knew I wouldn't hit him, particularly, but I thought if I could just survive an over, I'd make a point on behalf of all the England fans who'd paid to be here, which is you just have to show a bit of stiff upper lip."

Prior to today's battering, Morgan had tweeted:?"Easy with the sledging @BrettLee-58 – I've only got a few teeth to lose, you've got a whole reputation that's going to be shattered."