Cricket match abandoned after charging bull stops play

A cricket match in the North East Premier League was abandoned due to a dramatic intrusion by a runaway bull. The fixture at Burnopfield Cricket Club, near Newcastle, was halted on Saturday evening when the animal stormed the playing field and began charging at players.

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He was OK but I mean the beast probably weighed about 800kg.

The bull, described as a young but powerful animal weighing approximately 800kg, had escaped from a nearby farm and traveled about a mile to reach the cricket ground. Its arrival at around 3 p.m. quickly escalated from a novelty to a serious safety concern as it became agitated and dangerous.

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It was a juvenile bull, incredibly fit, athletic – quite frankly, it was quite dangerous.

Efforts by farmers and club officials to recapture the bull proved difficult and risky, with one farmer being hit by the animal. Police were eventually called to the scene. The bull eventually left the ground of its own accord, but not before the game was irretrievably interrupted. Burnopfield CC, who were second in the league, had scored 226 runs, and their opponents Hetton Lyons were 12 for one when play was stopped.

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We couldn’t get rid of it. There was no chance that the game was going to restart before the cutoff time.