5 times a vehicle was driven on a cricket field
Cricket is known as a gentleman’s game and, over the years, there have been numerous instances of players producing innumerable memorable moments on the field. From batters to bowlers and even fielders, everyone has contributed in some way or the other to make the game legendary.
At the same time, there have been some bizarre instances as well on the cricket field. There was a time when streakers invading the pitch was quite common. During India’s Test series in England last year, Daniel Jarvis, popularly known as Jarvo 69, breached security and interrupted Test matches on more than one occasion.
Fans disrupting the game by hurling things like bottles and other stuff at players is another mode of interruption that has been witnessed in cricket over the years.
Driving on a cricket field!
Along with the above-mentioned examples, there have also been cases where vehicles have ended up on the cricket field due to unique reasons. Here's a look at five such incidents.
#1 Man drives car onto pitch during Ranji Trophy game
During a Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh at the Air Force ground in Palam in November 2017, a man drove his car onto the pitch in a clear case of a major security breach. The game featured international players like Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma and Rishabh Pant, who were present on the ground when the bizarre incident took place.
A picture of Gambhir and Ishant standing near the car, which was parked right at the center of the pitch, went viral on social media. It was later learnt that the main gate of the ground, which only allows entry of cars after proper checking, was open and security was not in position. This allowed the man direct access to the field of play, leaving all players in a state of shock.
#2 Auto-rickshaw carries drinks
We have all seen cricketers run out with drinks for players out in the middle. There are, of course, vehicles that carry drinks for players during breaks. However, in August 2018, during a club cricket between two fan groups - Bharat Army and the Barmy Army - at the Richmond Cricket Club in Birmingham, drinks were carried to the players in an auto-rickshaw.
The Bharat Army shared a video of the unique drinks break on their official Twitter account with the caption:
“#ENGvIND Are you taking notes @indiancricketteam ? A new way of delivering ‘drinks’ for the the players..."
@imVkohli#ENGvIND Are you taking taking notes @BCCI ? A new way of delivering ‘drinks’ for the the players... #BharatArmyRickshaw #BharatArmy #Rickshaw #Cricket #IndianCricket #TeamIndia #LoveCricket #ViratKohli #COTI 🇮🇳@imVkohli https://t.co/v8M0nEa5Uw
The Indian cricket team was in England as part of a Test tour at the time of the incident.
#3 When an upset cab driver parked his car in the middle of the pitch
During a local club match in Brisbane in December 2015, play had to be halted after a cab driver parked his car in the middle of the pitch. The incident happened during Queensland’s Warehouse Cricket Association B1 fixture between Macgregor and Griffith University.
Macgregor’s Nigel Sherborne struck the ball hard, which went over the boundary and hit the windscreen of a parked cab. During the innings break, the enraged driver drove his car onto the ground at DM Henderson Park before Griffith University could even start their innings.
The cops had to be called and they forced the driver to move his car out of the field of play. The match resumed with eight overs lost due to the bizarre occurrence.
#4 Stolen car halts game in Adelaide
In another strange incident from Australia, a stolen car gate-crashed a local match in Adelaide in May 2022. Apparently, a 29-year-old male driver and his 26-year-old passenger had stolen the car the previous night.
After the cops were informed, they traced the duo down and arrested them. However, the players who were part of the game were in for a rude shock.
One of the players, Kuldeep Dhungana, was quoted as telling 9News:
“The car was coming straight to us but luckily the driver changed the direction. It could have easily been a lot worse because the speed that car was going was really huge, even a small collision could be life-threatening.”
Luckily, none of the cricketers present at the ground at the time of the incident suffered any injuries.
#5 When Fanie de Villiers used a remote-controlled 'car' to send drinks
We end the list with a unique incident. During South Africa’s 1993-94 tour of Australia, pace bowler Fanie de Villiers sent out drinks to the batters using a remote-controlled ’car'. The fast bowler was the 12th man during one of the one-day matches at the WACA in Perth.
Deciding to have some fun, he used a toy car to send drinks to the two batters out in the middle. Not only that, De Villiers played around with the car and ended up smashing it into the stumps too!