News Sports Cricket Snake stops play in Ranji Trophy match in Kolkata! (See pic)

Snake stops play in Ranji Trophy match in Kolkata! (See pic)

A snake gave players a fright during the ongoing Ranji Trophy match between Bengal and Vidarbha at Jadavpur University's Salt Lake Campus Ground in Kolkata.The unwelcome intruder entered the ground while Vidarbha was fielding. It

snake stops play in ranji trophy match in kolkata see pic snake stops play in ranji trophy match in kolkata see pic

A snake gave players a fright during the ongoing Ranji Trophy match between Bengal and Vidarbha at Jadavpur University's Salt Lake Campus Ground in Kolkata.

The unwelcome intruder entered the ground while Vidarbha was fielding. It was spotted by one of the fielders in the outfield who raised an alarm.

The local groundsmen arrived with sticks to chase the snake away but the fielders kept looking around nervously after the incident to check if it returned.

This was clearly not a ploy by the home side to rattle the visitors because a snake was reportedly also found later in the Bengal dressing room toilet!

But it could not be confirmed if this was the same snake.

Snakes have made sporadic appearances at cricket matches over the years, most notably on England's tour of Sri Lanka in 2007-08.

During a tour game against the Board President's XI, a cobra was seen just outside the boundary rope, sending the England fielders into a tizzy.

But luckily the venomous visitor did not enter the field on that occasion.