The third T20I match between India and South Africa at Centurion’s SuperSport Park was suspended due to an unexpected invasion of flies at the stadium. The swarm of insects, believed to be flying ants, had increased to such an extent that it began to massively impact the players and the match proceedings.
Fly ants force a pause in the 3rd T20I
As the Indian team walked in to chase the target set by South Africa, the ground was already full of these flying insects. The situation soon escalated, with the flies becoming so numerous that the umpires and players found it increasingly difficult to see the action clearly.
The lighting at the stadium was also being affected by the sheer number of insects, further hampering the visual conditions for the players and officials. In the end, the umpires had no choice but to stop the play and hold a discussion with the captains and match officials.
VVS Laxman, the head of the Indian team’s coaching staff four the tour, was seen having a word with the fourth umpire as the officials walked out for an inspection. All this came when Arshdeep Singh bowled the first over, where he leaked just 7 runs. In the first innings, Tilak Varma’s incredible 56-ball 107* led the foundation for Team India to score 219/6.
Play resumes after almost 30 mins
After a brief break, the official word came that play would resume at 11:10 pm IST. This was likely to allow the ground staff and officials to try and mitigate the fly situation, possibly by using various methods to disperse or remove the insects from the playing area.
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