Kolkata: The game of cricket has seen many disruptions over the years. Most of the time play has either been stopped due to rain or a wet outfield. There have even been severe situations when power failures or harsh crowd behaviour have brought matches to a standstill.
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Going further, streakers have been something cricket has had to worry about ever since a naked Michael Angelow leapt over the stumps during a Test match against Australia at Lord's in 1975. There have been animals such as dogs also who have made their appearances on the field that caused play to stop. However, the Ranji match between Bengal and Vidarbha was halted not due to a canine, but a slithery serpent.
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During the match, played at the Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus ground here on Sunday, a snake forced play to stop and players were asked to leave the field immediately. When Vidarbha took the field, the snake was spotted on the outfield by one of the fielders.
Snake forces stoppage of play during #RanjiTrophy match between Bengal-Vidarbha at JU campus in Salt Lake pic.twitter.com/JzYOaLA7DH
— Cricfit (@CricFit) November 7, 2015According to media reports, local groundsmen somehow managed to chase the snake away but eye witnesses say the reptile could have been poisonous.
This was not the first time teams faced the snake problem. At the end of the day’s play, when Bengal registered 217/7, the home team headed to the dressing room when they spotted another snake in the toilet.
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The Jadavpur University ground has been used in the past for Vijay Hazare matches but this piece of news comes as a major embarrassment to the officials of Cricket Association of Bengal.
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