5 Instances when play was stopped due to weird reasons

Several examples of cricket matches being halted due to poor light or rain are available. If a reserve day is set for the match, officials have occasionally been compelled to reschedule it for the next day due to severe rain. However, aside from poor lighting and rain, there have been numerous occasions where the action has been halted for unusual reasons. Five of them are as follows:

1. Nathan Lyon’s burned toast

Nathan Lyon was responsible for a brief disruption during a live match. In a somewhat humorous twist of events, Lyon accidentally brought the vehicle to a slight stop by leaving a toaster unattended, which set off the fire alarms and prompted the fire department to arrive. 

The incident brought a sense of humour to the match's intensity by demonstrating that even extremely talented sportsmen can have unanticipated accidents off the field. The attention briefly switched from the cricket action to the humorous aspects of the players' lifestyle due to Lyon's unintentional toaster disaster.

2. India’s Baggage Delay

In a recent international cricket incident, the visiting team's delayed baggage arrival caused an unanticipated delay in the start of a match. This unexpected incident happened just prior to India's second Twenty20 International match against the West Indies on August 2 in 2022, at Warner Park in St. Kitts. 

The scheduled activities were interrupted by the baggage's delayed arrival, which briefly stopped the start of the match. This incident serves as a reminder that even with careful preparation, unanticipated challenges may arise and affect how well highly anticipated cricket matches are played out.

3. Animals on the Pitch: Cats, Birds, and Other Animals

Play has also been disrupted in some odd ways by birds and small animals. A pigeon perched on the field and refused to move during a Test match between Australia and India in Ranchi in 2017. Before it took off, the players had to repeatedly shoo it away. 

A cat also appeared on the field during a T20 match in England, eluding security and providing some unanticipated entertainment for the spectators. Despite their small size, these animals can cause unexpected delays when they don't leave the field.

4. Drain

An excellent illustration of a match going down the drain. In 1988's The Summer of Four Captains, it was one of England's few moments of relaxation. The Headingley Test got underway on schedule, with Curtly Ambrose hitting Graham Gooch with four balls. 

Water was discovered to be leaking out of the ground when Ambrose halted in the middle of his run-up and called for Bird. A ruptured drain was discovered during the investigation. To get things going, some sawdust and repairs were required.

5. Late delivery of food in Bloemfontein

When Bangladesh and South Africa faced off in 2017, Test cricket finally returned to Bloemfontein. The home team jumped right in and put on a solid display, making the wait for Test cricket seem well worth it.

But on Day 1, just before lunch, the Bloemfontein officials got into a somewhat awkward situation. When the caterers assigned to provide food for the Bangladesh contingent failed to arrive on time, lunch was postponed by ten minutes. The office bearers at the Bloemfontein ground hardly bathed themselves in glory with this mishap, even if it was later discovered that the delay was caused by a menu that was printed incorrectly.

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