New Zealand cricket match suspended as pitch invaded by bees

By Jack Guy, CNN

A cricket match in New Zealand was suspended when the pitch was invaded by some unusual visitors: a swarm of bees.

Canterbury and Wellington were playing a Plunket Shield match at Basin Reserve in Wellington on Sunday when the insects descended.

Photos of the incident show players and officials sitting and lying on the ground as the bees fly over the pitch.

“BEE-careful! 🐝 A swarm of bees popped in at the Cello @BasinReserve for a closer look at today’s #PlunketShield action between @cricketwgtninc & @CanterburyCrick!,” reads a tweet from the Black Caps, the country’s national cricket team.

The incident occurred during day two of the four-day match, with play continuing on Monday.

Canterbury ended Sunday 269 runs ahead, with six wickets in hand.

Bees have previously disrupted cricket matches in the UK and South Africa.

In June 2019, a swarm of bees interrupted a Cricket World Cup match between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Durham, England, and a similar incident occurred when the two teams faced each other in Johannesburg, South Africa, two years earlier.

In July, a man died and at least five people were injured after a bee swarm attack in Arizona.

The-CNN-Wire
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