Flying ants halt SA vs IND T20I in Centurion! Other bizarre stoppages in cricket
Play was stopped during the third T20I between South Africa and India on November 13 in Centurion due to flying ants. Yes, you read that right! A bunch of insects, which was referred to as flying ants by the SuperSport Park authorities, led to a 30-minute delay in play after the first over of South Africa’s chase of 220.
The flying ants were first spotted before the start of the South African innings. The insects, thousands of them, were flying close to the floodlights at the iconic venue. As Arshdeep Singh bowled the first over, the flying ants started to fly closer to the ground level. By the end of the first over, the insects were spotted aplenty on the pitch, leading to a halt in play.
SA v IND, 3rd T20I: Updates and Reactions | Scorecard
The on-field umpires stopped play, fearing the safety of the players. They spoke to the two South African openers and India captain Suryakumar Yadav before taking the players off the field. South Africa were 7 for 0 at the end of the first over when play was halted due to an unprecedented reason.
It was not the first time insects delayed play in South Africa as swarms of bees had halted a pink ODI between South Africa and Sri Lanka at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in 2017.
The ground staff were seen using special equipment, including a vacuum cleaner and some machines with pesticides, to try and chase the insects away from the field of play. The game eventually resumed at 11:10 am IST after a successful clearance job from the authorities at the SuperSport Park.
Earlier in the day, Tilak Varma’s maiden T20I hundred powered India to 219 for 6 in their quota of 20 overs which went without any interruption because of flying ants.
BIZARRE STOPPAGES IN CRICKET: FROM BEES TO BURNT TOAST
1. Monkeys on the Field
During a tour match between Haryana and England XI in Ahmedabad in 2012, play was interrupted by the sudden arrival of three grey langur monkeys on the field.
2. Ball in a Barbecue
In a Castle Cup match between Boland and Border in Paarl in 1995, play was halted when a ball landed in a spectator’s barbecue, getting stuck between coals and calamari. It took 10 minutes to cool down and clean the ball before play resumed.
3. German Doodlebug Alert
During a wartime match between the Army and the Royal Air Force at Lord’s in 1944, play was stopped due to a German doodlebug (flying bomb) alert. Players and spectators sought shelter until the bomb dropped elsewhere.
4. Pig on the Field
In the fifth ODI between Australia and England in Brisbane in 1983, a piglet with ‘Botham’ and ‘Eddie’ painted on its sides was let loose on the outfield, causing a delay as police chased the animal.
5. Burning Toast
During a Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland in 2017-18, play was stopped for about 30 minutes after Nathan Lyon’s burnt toast triggered the fire alarm at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
6. Bee Attack
Several matches have been interrupted by bee attacks, including one during Sri Lanka’s 2017 tour of South Africa and another between India A and the England Lions in Kerala. Players and umpires had to lie down to avoid the bees.
7. Car on the Field
In the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season, a match between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh was delayed when a drunken driver drove his car onto the field, disregarding attempts by players and officials to stop him.
8. Total Solar Eclipse
A special Test match between India and England in Mumbai in 1980 was affected by a total solar eclipse, leading to the cancellation of play on the second day for the safety of the spectators.
9. Late Food Delivery
During Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa in 2018, the start of the second session of a Test match in Bloemfontein was delayed by 10 minutes due to a delay in the delivery of Halal food for the Bangladeshi tea.
10. Fire Alarm Due to Gravy
In a County Championship match between Lancashire and Kent at Old Trafford in 2007, play was halted when the fire alarm went off due to a smouldering vat of gravy in the pavilion kitchen.
