If someone throws a water bottle or snowball on the field during a sporting event, it’s bad form. If someone launches an actual weapon onto the field, it’s time to pack up and go home.
That’s what happened Thursday during a cricket match in south London when someone launched a crossbow bolt directly onto the pitch. The County Championship game between Surrey and Middlesex was interrupted when a metal arrow appeared around 4.20pm.
Play suspended at Kia Oval after a "projectile" was fired into the ground from outside. Fans urged to move indoors. We'll keep you posted pic.twitter.com/LSl3mLqE7i
— Vitality County Championship (@CountyChamp) August 31, 2017
Players and umpires were rushed off the field and fans were told to move inside until armed cops carried out a “controlled evacuation” of the stadium. No one was injured and no one has been arrested just yet. The match was declared a draw.
One spectator told officers that he says two bolts on the field but that has yet to be confirmed. According to BBC Test Match commentator Dan Norcross, the crossbow bolt landed between two players.
“It’s a very difficult target for somebody who is trying to do specific damage and it feels more like an act of mischief. But it could have done serious damage – I’ve seen the tip and it’s very sharp and it was poking into the ground.
“I can’t stress enough what a dangerous weapon this arrow was – 18 inches long with a long metal tip. It could so easily have hurt someone and it landed eight yards from about five players.”
Some of the players and teams tweeted after they left the field to confirm the details.
Well…we have just officially gone off the field because a metal tipped arrow just landed on the pitch!! 👀
— Stuart Meaker (@SMeaker18) August 31, 2017
Our thanks go to everyone at @surreycricket for the calm and professional manner in which they handled the earlier situation at the Oval.
— Middlesex Cricket (@Middlesex_CCC) August 31, 2017
Luckily no one was hurt and hopefully, the culprit is identified soon.
[BBC]
