A cricket match between Burnopfield Cricket Club and Hetton Lyons was abandoned Saturday evening after a bull entered the playing field and charged at participants. The incident occurred at Burnopfield Cricket Club near Newcastle.
The young bull, estimated to weigh around 800kg (1,760 lbs), reportedly escaped from a nearby farm and traveled approximately one mile to reach the cricket ground around 3 p.m. Efforts to remove the animal from the field proved unsuccessful.
Martin Oswell, director of Burnopfield Cricket Club, stated that the bull's owner arrived at the ground and attempted to coax the animal into a pen, but the bull was described as frightened and spooked. Concerns for safety grew as the bull charged at players and farmers who tried to recapture it. One farmer was reportedly hit by the bull but was uninjured.
Police were called to the scene. The match was interrupted with Burnopfield CC having scored 226 runs. Oswell noted that the game was important for the team, which is second in the North East Premier League, and that they believed they had a good chance of winning.
The bull eventually left the field of its own accord. The game could not be restarted due to time constraints.
