5 instances of animals disrupting a cricket match
It is quite common to have disruptions during a cricket match. While on certain occasions, on-field elements tend to be the reason for them, there are also times when they are related to things outside the field.We have often witnessed brief stoppages during games possibly due to a plane flying by or beach balls making their way to the pitch or even a fan invasion. But the funniest and most heartwarming reason for a match to get disrupted has to be the appearance of animals on the field of play.The most recent T20I encounter between South Africa and Australia saw play being halted for a while as a squirrel ran amok on the ground. The incident occurred just two overs into the South African innings and proved to be an entertaining distraction from the regular cricketing fare.Here are 5 instances of animals causing a cricket match to be disrupted:
#1 Dog distraction during India-New Zealand ODI
The first ODI of the 2010 series between India and New Zealand played at Guwahati saw a stray dog holding up play for some time. The Kiwis were more than halfway through their innings, chasing a target of 276, when this hilarious incident took place.
The dog somehow managed to sneak into the ground and started running about before finally hurtling its way to the centre. Play, quite obviously, had to be halted as the security personnel attempted to get it off the field.
India's Suresh Raina added his own touch of humour to the whole story by trying to hide behind New Zealand's Grant Elliott as the canine passed them by. It was one of the many occasions when a dog managed to garner more attention in a cricket match.