Sun, sweat or streakers tend to be the usual occupational hazards for a professional cricketer.
But Australian and Indian players at the test faced a sticky wicket today when they were forced to abandon play temporarily and lie down to avoid a swarm of bees that flew across the pitch.
Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden of Australia lay on the ground along with the Indian players and umpire Billy Bowden as the insects took over the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi on day three of the Third Test match.
The insects were just another hurdle for an Australian team already on the back foot after India posted a massive first innings total of 613 runs.
But this morning the tourists were fighting back, with the score at 269 for the loss of two wickets.
It's not the first time bees have plagued international cricket.
England players were floored in Sri Lanka last year to avoid a swarm and, closer to home, Brian Lara hit the deck in Cardiff as the insects invaded a match between West Indies and Glamorgan in 2000.
But Australian and Indian players at the test faced a sticky wicket today when they were forced to abandon play temporarily and lie down to avoid a swarm of bees that flew across the pitch.
Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden of Australia lay on the ground along with the Indian players and umpire Billy Bowden as the insects took over the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi on day three of the Third Test match.
The insects were just another hurdle for an Australian team already on the back foot after India posted a massive first innings total of 613 runs.But this morning the tourists were fighting back, with the score at 269 for the loss of two wickets.
It's not the first time bees have plagued international cricket.
England players were floored in Sri Lanka last year to avoid a swarm and, closer to home, Brian Lara hit the deck in Cardiff as the insects invaded a match between West Indies and Glamorgan in 2000.
Manchester City are ready to break the bank and match David Villa's £77.8million release clause at La Liga club Valencia.
City are ready to meet the 100million euro demand for the Spain striker and make the £34million the club splashed out for Brazilian Robinho on the final day of the summer transfer window look like small change.
The Middle Eastern owners are believed to have launched a bid for Villa that same day as well as unsuccessfully chasing Germany forward Mario Gomez and failing to hijack Dimitar Berbatov's move to Manchester United.
Despite Villa, the top goalscorer at Euro 2008, signing a new deal at the Mestalla the Abu Dhabi consortium that have taken over at Eastlands are not to be deterred, according to reports in the Spanish press.
City are believed to have already made contact with the forward and although Villa is holding out for a summer switch to Real Madrid or Manchester United, he has not ruled out joining Mark Hughes' side.
If City fail in luring Villa to Eastlands, they will turn their attention to Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero.
City are ready to meet the 100million euro demand for the Spain striker and make the £34million the club splashed out for Brazilian Robinho on the final day of the summer transfer window look like small change.
The Middle Eastern owners are believed to have launched a bid for Villa that same day as well as unsuccessfully chasing Germany forward Mario Gomez and failing to hijack Dimitar Berbatov's move to Manchester United.
Despite Villa, the top goalscorer at Euro 2008, signing a new deal at the Mestalla the Abu Dhabi consortium that have taken over at Eastlands are not to be deterred, according to reports in the Spanish press.
City are believed to have already made contact with the forward and although Villa is holding out for a summer switch to Real Madrid or Manchester United, he has not ruled out joining Mark Hughes' side.
If City fail in luring Villa to Eastlands, they will turn their attention to Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero.
Everton's season is in turmoil after a 2-1 defeat by Standard Liege in Belgium ended their hopes of a morale-boosting UEFA Cup run.Manager David Moyes' future is in doubt in the wake of a 4-3 aggregate exit that follows Everton's Carling Cup defeat at Blackburn and Saturday's loss to Liverpool in the Mersey derby.
But the pressure eased on Juande Ramos, the other Premier League manager under the cosh, as Spurs reached the group stages after a 1-1 draw with Wisla Krakow in Poland. Manchester City and Aston Villa also went through.
Moyes has been linked to Newcastle, Tottenham and his former club Celtic as his frustration has grown over the lack of progress at Goodison Park.
But while he is yet to sign a new contract, Moyes insisted: 'I will see it out. I've had some tough situations - all managers face difficult times. There's no divine right to win football games, you have to earn the right to do so. There's no easy ride and this is part of it.'
Everton had pinned their hopes on lifting Moyes' mood with a European adventure but even without Milan Jovanovic's penalty winner, Phil Jagielka's 67th-minute equaliser would not have been enough to see Everton into the group stages after their 2-2 draw in the first leg.
Moyes believed Standard captain Steven Defour was lucky not to have been shown a red card for putting his hands on German referee Peter Sippel. Moyes said: 'In England I think he would've been sent off. Then there was a professional foul that was let go. The crowd did a very good job for Standard tonight.'
Jagielka believes Moyes will not walk away, saying: 'The gaffer will sort his own contract out in his own time. I'm sure he's going to stay.'
