Aggressive fans unleash on Aussies as England wins Third Ashes test

And the triumphant Barmy Army supporter group rose its arms simultaneously.

But it was for a different reason — to hurl plastic pint glasses and food at anyone wearing green and gold.

The hostility, which had been simmering since Jonny Bairstow’s contentious dismissal at Lords, had come to a nasty crescendo.

“Aussie cheating bastards,” some Brits chanted.

“Cricket’s coming home,” others cried.

Australian Nick Scrivenger, 31, was slapped fiercely by aggressive fans and branded a “f***ing cheat”.

“I copped a few today and through this series, when the banter is good, it’s really great but when it’s hostile it sucks,” he said.

“I’m grateful Australia has stayed in the game (2-1 down, with two Test’s remaining) and am grateful to have been part of the series but I’ve copped some hard slaps on the back of the head.

“Fine, getting called a ‘cheat’ once, twice, or three times, but all the time?

“I don’t want to come across as not a good sport, but it really p***ed me off.”

Grapes and cartons of hot chips landed on 187cm tall Adelaide fan Glen Fry.

“I swatted them straight back at them like (Australian all-rounder) Mitchell Marsh,” he said.

Reid McNamara, of Sydney, said the atmosphere has been “really aggressive and nasty at times” and only abated “once we show we can take it in our stride.”

After the host’s three-wicket victory, Gareth Fare, from north east Leicestershire, instructed his British mates to “go find the Aussies.”

He had been ejected from the ground by police only a day earlier.

“Game on, bring on Old Trafford (the next Test),” he said, tossing his empty pint glass over his shoulder at a row of Australians.

“Look, the police made me apologise to the fans yesterday but I’m not saying sorry to the players – they’re out and out cheats.

“We’re going to the pub now to find as many cheating Aussie bastards as we can so we can tell them they’re a bunch of ‘wallaby shits’. It’s just banter, innit?”

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During play, Australian Steve Smith appeared at the boundary, appearing to issue a plea for calm.

He clasped his hands together, as if prayer, as they chanted “you’re not captain anymore, not captain anymore, we saw you crying on the telly, crying on the telly,” referring to the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.

England fan Imran Ranzan, an NHS worker from Manchester said: “I feel sorry for the Aussies, they’re going to regret losing so many wickets quickly yesterday.”

Originally published as Aggressive fans unleash on Aussies as England wins Third Ashes test