Unusual Bee Interruption Halts Worcestershire vs. Essex County Championship Match

In a remarkable turn of events, a swarm of bees interrupted the County Championship match between Worcestershire and Essex, causing players to take cover. The game resumed shortly after the bees left the field. Despite a shaky start, Worcestershire managed to recover, ending the day with 354 runs for 9 wickets. Discover more about this unusual incident and the match's progress.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 17, 2025, 17:51 IST

A Surprising Interruption During Play

An unexpected incident occurred during the County Championship Division One match between Worcestershire and Essex at Worcester. The game was temporarily paused, not due to inclement weather or equipment failure, but because of a sudden swarm of bees invading the field.

While Worcestershire was batting at New Road, a large group of bees descended onto the pitch. In response, players and umpires quickly dropped to the ground to avoid being stung. Thankfully, no one was harmed during this unusual event. The match resumed shortly after the bees dispersed, just minutes before the day's play was set to conclude.

Watch the Incident

Check out the video here:

Worcestershire's Recovery After Early Setbacks

In the 30th match of the County Championship Division One, Essex won the toss and opted to bowl first. Worcestershire faced a challenging start, losing five wickets for just 123 runs. The top-order batsmen struggled, putting pressure on the middle and lower-order players.

However, Matthew Waite, Rob Jones, Kashif Ali, and Tom Taylor managed to stabilize the innings. By the end of the first day, Worcestershire had posted a total of 354 runs for 9 wickets. Waite contributed 73 runs, while Jones scored 54, Kashif added 46, and Taylor made 43 runs. Notably, Waite and Taylor formed a crucial partnership of 95 runs for the eighth wicket, helping the team approach the 350-run mark.

Ben Allison remained not out at 34 runs, with Yadvinder Singh scoring 5 runs. For Essex, Shane Snater was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets, while Noah Thain and Matt Critchley claimed 2 wickets each. Jamie Porter and Kasun Rajitha each took 1 wicket.