Pigs, Snakes, Monkeys! Unwelcome guests on the cricket ground

While rain and damp conditions are the most common hindrance in a cricket match, sun, snow, food, animals and unruly crowds are also some of the others, but only on rarer occasions.

The Guwahati T20I was halted for almost 5 minutes when a snake intruded the ground, but it was not the first time. Mouse, dogs, and as weird as it might sound, pigs and monkeys, too have halted cricket matches in the past.

Editorji looks back at some bizarre interruptions that were forced by animals.

The fielder dog

Irish domestic game, September 2021

It was an unwelcomed but a cute guest who invaded an Irish domestic game in September 2021. A pet dog apparently interrupted the game of cricket as 'fetch play' as he caught a ball and started to run around the field, interrupting the game for some time.

The flirtatious Langur

ENGLAND’s warm-up game vs Haryana in Ahmedabad, Nov 2012

It was England's final warm-up game ahead of their Test series in India in 2012, in Ahmedabad when a Langur dashed for a female companion sitting on the other side of the pitch. The game was temporarily suspended as the langur went past the pitch towards the unsuspecting female companion on his own.

Tiger nearby?

Domestic English game, 2011

In 2011, a Hampshire cricket game at Rose Bowl ground saw the play being stopped for almost 20 minutes after a person reported the presence of a white tiger near the ground. Later, Helicopter surveillance revealed that the 'tiger' was a stuffed toy.

'Beeroz Shah Kotla'

IND vs AUS 3rd Test, in 2008

IND vs AUS 3rd Test, in 2008 was halted briefly after bees swarmed the Feroz Shah Kotla arena in New Delhi. The players and umpires avoided the buzzers by lying flat on the ground on the 3rd day of the game.

'Botham' & 'Eddie' invade the pitch

Aus vs Eng, 1983 World Series

During the 1983 World Series, an Australia and England game was interrupted after Australian fans managed to release a pig onto the field. The animal had tags of ‘Botham’ and ‘Eddie’, pierced in his ears, referring to English cricketers Ian Botham and Eddie Hemmings. A policeman later escorted the animal outside the ground.