The commotion in Australia caused by the ball tampering episode during a game of cricket against South Africa calls for some explanation. It was, after all, only a game. Or is it more than that? The late John Harriott, much-loved columnist on The Tablet for many years, was so enamoured of the spirit of the game that he once likened it to a fifth Gospel. So when the Australian prime minister went on television to describe what had happened as a “terrible disgrace”, it became clear this was no ordinary bending of the rules of a sporting fixture. This was a blow to national self-esteem that many Australians felt personally.