Thursday, July 18, became the major talking point in the ongoing T20 Blast as the match between Surrey and Hampshire was briefly interrupted due to an unusual reason. During the match at The Oval, a fox suddenly rushed on to the outfield, making the game come to a halt for a moment while it ran around the playing area. This happened unexpectedly in the sixth over of Hampshire’s innings while Chris Jordan was bowling to Toby Albert.
Fortunately, no manual intervention was required as the fox finally found its way out of the ground. Actually, it jumped over the advertisement board, elating the crowd, and thus allowed the continuation of the game. Such interruptions are not novel in cricket; past games have been interrupted by unexpected animal incursions, be it cats, dogs, or even snakes.
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As for the game itself, Surrey won the match against Hampshire by 5 wickets. The Hampshire team, batting first after being invited to do so, chalked out a reasonable score of 183 runs. From an alarming position of 96 for 5, a brilliant half-century by Tony Albert took them to a respectable score. Albert’s 66 off 45, with 5 fours and 2 sixes, was the key factor in the fight for Hampshire.
This quick brown fox jumped onto the field during a cricket match in London to the amusement of both players and fans. https://t.co/beZWMrFtWX pic.twitter.com/e4VZ7aJKnI
— ABC News (@ABC) July 19, 2024
For Surrey, Jordan Clark took 3 and Matt Dunn claimed two. In their reply, Surrey’s chase began on a bad note as they were struggling at 27 for 3 in the 5th over, only to be turned around by an outstanding unbeaten century from Sam Curran. Curran played an innings of mastery; he single-handedly guided Surrey to a thrilling win.
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Curran’s heroics were complete on the first ball of the final over, when he hit a six to complete his century and see Surrey home. The 22-year-old remained unbeaten on 102 from 58 balls, having displayed brilliant skills and determination. It will not only be remembered for Curran’s brilliant show but also for the unexpected cameo from the fox which finally overshadowed the action.
