BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | NatWest Series

After Michael Bevan was struck in the face by a can thrown from the crowd following Australia's win, the presentation ceremony was moved inside the pavilion.

Bevan suffered only bruising, but the potential for a more serious incident may result in the ECB moving all ceremonies inside during the forthcoming Ashes series and relaying them on the replay screens.

"We'll be having a full review of the NatWest tournament, which will include presentation ceremonies," said Tim Lamb, chief executive of the ECB.

"It's too early to decide whether ceremonies should move inside closed doors as the way forward, but we are certainly looking into it - it's a shame everyone should suffer from the actions of one lunatic."

Australian players leave the Lord's balcony
Lamb hopes to meet sports minister Richard Caborn and John Denham, the Minister of State at the Home Office, in the next week to investigate what action could be taken to check crowd behaviour.

"We don't want to overreact here, but we have another situation when the players have again been made vulnerable and that should not happen," said Lamb.

"We've never had a history of missile-throwing in English cricket and you could say that one is too many and we are very concerned about what has been happening over the last few weeks.

"If people see there are no effective sanctions at the moment, there could be a copycat incident. There are members of society who do look to take advantage of loopholes and make a name for themselves.

"It is all a question of getting the balance right. We have to be able to rely on people to behave properly, but this is a social problem not just cricket's and we have been caught up in a social issue.

Michael Bevan at Lord's
Michael Bevan was struck in the face
"I know the MCC and the police are studying television footage to see if they can identify the idiot who did this and if that could be done, it would be great if he was severely punished to send a message out to others that the penalties are severe for this sort of thing."

Australian team manager Steve Bernard plans a meeting with Lamb during their match at Arundel this week against the MCC when security issues will be discussed for the Ashes series.

But he has sympathy for the authorities, claiming: "The ECB have reacted as things have evolved and the MCC put a lot of measures in place to avoid any disturbances.

"I feel sorry for the MCC and ECB because no-one could have foreseen that would happen, but it has made us refocus a bit more about what has to be done."