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A cricket match can be stopped due to weather conditions (rain) or bad light before getting the result.

Have any international matches been stopped before getting the result for any reasons besides weather or bad lighting in cricket history?

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8 Answers 8

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In addition to the previous answer a couple of other interesting examples spring to mind. These from Test matches:

The first abandoned test I can find was West Indies vs England, Sabina Park (1998). The match was called off after only 10 overs due to an unplayable pitch (Scorecard).

A similar occurrence in Antigua in 2009, where the game was called off after 10 deliveries. (Cricinfo report). This was due to the sandy condition of the recently relaid outfield being deemed dangerous to bowlers.

The second Test between England and West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium in Antigua has been abandoned after just ten deliveries, after the sand-based outfield was deemed a safety risk to the bowlers.

The test between England and Pakistan at the Oval in 2006 was abandoned when the Pakistan team refused to emerge from their dressing room after tea on the 4th day, feeling they had been unfairly docked 5 runs for ball-tampering. (Scorecard) The match was eventually awarded to England.

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  • Really interesting, particularly that one, players refused to come from dressing room to play the match. I think many more instances were in the history. Commented Jan 9, 2014 at 4:24
  • +1 for WI v Eng match. I think there are many more matches (not sure) which are called off due to bad (wet) outfield.
    – Himanshu
    Commented Jan 9, 2014 at 5:59
  • @SportsFan: Oh. I think I did. I am not sure what happened then..
    – Himanshu
    Commented Jan 9, 2014 at 7:56
  • @hims056 I'm sure that you're right about wet outfields being a big problem (probably a lot more so before covers/drainage improved). The WI vs Eng match wasn't weather related though so I've edited to clear that up. Commented Jan 9, 2014 at 11:58
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The first semi final match between India and Sri Lanka in world cup 1996 was stopped due to disturbance in the crowd. Read the note of the match:

At the fall of the 8th Indian wicket, sections of the crowd vented their disgust with the state of the match by setting fire to some areas of the stands and throwing fruit and waterbottles onto the field. The match was briefly stopped and when play was about to resume, the crowd again threw bottles at the deep fielders. The match referee stopped the game and the game was awarded to Sri Lanka by default.

I don't know any other match which was stopped due to such reasons.

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  • indis vs srilanka, couple of times due to dangerous pitch. 1. at indore in 1997 2. at Delhi in 2009
    – Chandru
    Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 8:53
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Along with the other examples already cited, an unusual incident occurred in 1975, when the 3rd Ashes Test at Headingley was abandoned as a draw due to an act of sabotage: before the fifth day's play, the pitch was dug up and damaged with oil by campaigners calling for the release of a convicted criminal.

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1) The India vs West Indies game in Rajkot,2002 was stopped amidst security threats after chuckers started attacking players with water bottles and sandbags. India won by 81 runs by virtue of D/L method.

Relevant CricInfo article.

2) The India vs Sri Lanka game in Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, 2009 due to dangerous pitch conditions. The series had already been won by India and the two captains agreed to a draw.

Kotla Pitch Fiasco

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An instance where a Test match was ended by crowd disturbance was the Fifth Test between West Indies and Australia at Sabina Park, Kingston in May 1978. West Indies were 9 wickets down in their second innings and over 100 runs behind late on the fifth day when parts of the crowd rioted. Police were called and players retreated to the dressing room, played being called off.

A decision was made that evening by the management of the two teams to complete the Test on the following morning, which would have been the sixth day of the game. One umpire agreed to stand on the extra day, the other didn't and so the match did not continue.

The match scorecard is on Cricinfo here. Peter Toohey played for Australia in that Test, his account of the incident is here.

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In a match at Sialkot(India's tour of Pakistan 1984-85), Pakistan had put India in to bat after winning the toss. India was cruising at 210/3 after 40 overs with Dilip Vengsarkar well-set on 94*.

The match was then abandoned following news of the assasination of India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Match scorecard is here.

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The sad addition to the examples above are all the Sheffield Shield matches in progress on 25 November 2014. Play in the New South Wales vs South Australia match was abandoned for the day when Phillip Hughes was critically injured by a bouncer; all the other in progress matches were abandoned at the end of the day's play.

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In addition to all of the other answers, the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2008-09 was abandoned on 3 March 2009, after the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked on its way to the cricket ground. Since then, the only international matches played in Pakistan have been those played on Zimbabwe's tour of the country in 2015.

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