WBBL match abandoned after warm-up blunder wrecks pitch and leaves ball stuck in bizarre scenes

The Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) clash between Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes was forced to be called off after a strange accident left the pitch unfit to play on. During the innings break, a cricket ball ended up getting stuck in the pitch, creating a deep hole that couldn’t be fixed before play was supposed to continue.

How the ball rolled into the pitch

The game was going at a normal pace as the Adelaide Strikers scored 167 for 4, and the ground staff started rolling the pitch like they always do. At the same time, the Hurricanes were warming up nearby. One of their practice balls rolled onto the pitch and slipped under the heavy roller.

As the pitch rollers are so heavy, it pushed the ball deep into the surface, leaving a round hole in the middle of the wicket. The damage was too large and too deep to repair quickly. The Strikers later posted on Instagram that the pitch had changed so much that it wouldn’t have been fair for the Hurricanes to bat on it.

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The umpires, referee and match officials inspected the pitch and announced that the pitch is not up to the mark to resume the clash. The two captains were also spoken to, and everyone accepted that the match had to be abandoned.

Hobart Hurricanes into the finale

The Hurricanes had already made the finals after winning seven of their first nine games. They were preparing to chase the Strikers’ total, which was built around Madeline Penna’s unbeaten 63 from 51 balls. Their bowlers had shared the wickets, but they never got the chance to see what the chase would look like.

Adelaide Strikers' third clash abandoned

For the Strikers, the result was frustrating. It was their third match of the season to be cancelled due to weather or abandonment. They are now sixth on the points table tally, and to stay in the race for the final, they have to win their last league stage clash against the Sydney Sixers.

Cricket Australia on the incident

Cricket Australia later issued a statement explaining the unusual events in Adelaide.

“During the innings break and with teams warming up, a ball was inadvertently rolled onto the pitch while the roller was being used. The ball went beneath the roller creating a hole in the pitch,” the statement said.

“As a result, the pitch conditions were changed significantly. After consultation between the match referee and the umpires, it was considered unreasonable to expect the Hurricanes to bat in conditions that were materially different to those the Strikers had experienced.

“Both team captains were consulted by the officials and were accepting of this decision.”