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'What on earth': Cricket world stunned by inexplicable moment

A groundsman can be seen here bringing sawdust out to place on the pitch.
The last-over delay in England Women's T20 win over West Indies left viewers perplexed. Pic: Fox Sports

A bizarre last-over delay in a recent Twenty20 match has left commentators laughing in disbelief.

England Women scored a big 47-run win over the West Indies in the first match of their Twenty20 series on Monday thanks in large part to Tammy Beaumont's superb half-century.

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However, it was a lengthy stoppage in the final over of the match that had viewers scratching their heads and commentators lost for words.

The Windies needed 50 runs off the final four balls - an impossible scenario unless England bowled an unprecedented numbers of wides or no balls.

England bowler Katherine Brunt was expected to complete the formality and put the West Indies out of their misery in a timely fashion.

What eventuated though were scenes that commentators struggled to fathom as Brunt called a stoppage in play so officials could bring out sawdust to spread over the pitch.

Presumably, it was to prevent Brunt running the risk of injuring herself on a worn pitch, but the reality is she could have walked in and bowled the last four balls and the result would have been the same.

Commentators couldn't help but laugh as an extra five minutes were added to the end of the match so ground staff could attend to the issue.

Seen here, an England player spreads the sawdust into the pitch.
England's players held up the final moments of the game for five minutes while the sawdust was applied to the pitch. Pic: Fox Sports

“What on earth is it?” one commentator exclaimed as an official started dusting the pitch with an odd-coloured spatter of sawdust.

The Windies made just three runs when the final four balls were eventually bowled, meaning Brunt conceded just eight runs off her four overs.

However, her inexplicable insistence on delaying the inevitable, drew mixed reactions on social media.

Beaumont half century sets up England win

Despite Brunt's last-game antics, Beaumont was the headline act in Derby as the women's international calendar returned more than six months on from the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Driven by Beaumont's 62 from 49 balls, England scored 163-8 despite a collapse of six wickets for 50.

Deandra Dottin battled to 69 in an under-powered response of 116-6 by the West Indies.

"I can tell you that innings felt a long way away four months ago when I got back to cricket (after lockdown) and got bowled by an under-arm in my first session," Beaumont said.

"I think having three months off from cricket reminded me of the reason I started playing.

"It's amazing to be back out there and to kick things off at the top of the order. Hopefully that's a good innings to carry on from for the rest of the series."

The West Indies had stepped in as late replacements after India and South Africa declined to travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

with AFP