Hilarious moment angry birds send Aussie cricketer running for cover as Sheffield Shield match is disrupted by cranky plovers
- Tasmania plays Queensland in Shield match
- The ball was hit to the boundary where the plover had set up shop
- Queensland fielder had to brave the wrath of the bird to retrieve the ball
Cricket players can face many dangers, but fending off an aggressive bird is usually not one of them.
However, the Sheffield Shield match between Tasmania and Queensland was briefly postponed on Friday for exactly that reason.
Birds are a common sight at cricket, with seagulls often entertaining in the outfield and plovers often nesting near cricket pitches.
Plovers are known for their vigilant and protective behavior when it comes to protecting their chicks.
They use various distraction techniques, such as feigning injuries or talking loudly, to divert potential threats from their vulnerable young.
The Bulls’ Jack Wildermut got more than he bargained for when he had to collect a ball hit for four – right at a grumpy plover
The plover was unhappy that the cricket ball had landed near its chick and tried to prevent the Queensland fielder from coming to collect it
This particular plover had set up camp on the outfield with its chicks and when a Tasmanian player hit a boundary towards it, a Queensland fielder had the non-jealous task of retrieving the ball which was now guarded by the excited bird.
As the ball shot into the boundary rope, the plover shot up.
“The plover won’t be happy about that and the fielder might want to be a little wary,” the commentator said.
‘It doesn’t like what it sees, it’s tried to keep it away itself, it’s not happy with the cricket ball there.
Right on cue, Jack Wildermut came to the boundary rope to retrieve the ball and was met by a very aggressive plover protecting his children.
“Now the plover goes to Wildermut, who realizes he has some work to do,” the commentator said with a laugh.
‘He has the white towel, I compliment Wildermut.
‘This is a situation, Jack Wildermut is under duress here. He’s holding the plover back with his white towel.’
The Thunder’s Phoebe Litchfield reacts after being attacked by a plover during the 2022 Women’s Big Bash League match between Hobart and Sydney
It’s not the first time grumpy plovers have interrupted a professional cricket match.
Last year, a WBBL game was stopped and the players had to take cover and lie on the ground to escape the wrath of an angry plover.
“I can see a few players actually getting going at the moment,” laughed former Australian and Thunder legend Alex Blackwell during Fox Sports’ broadcast of the game.
‘A mother and father plover, it looks like they are protecting the chicks. The plovers are quite territorial and place their nests randomly in the outfield.
“You would expect a nest somewhere to be better protected, but it appears the nest has been placed in short cover,” said Blackwell, who grew up with territorial birds playing in regional NSW.