Things have been a little muggy at the start of the ongoing County Championship season at Old Trafford in Manchester for Lancashire. The home side has slumped to three defeats in as many outings before finding some footing in the latest fixture against Gloucestershire, but not without leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for some (probably) harmless fun on the field.
Given all the marathon batting by his teammates in the top-order for over a day’s play, Tom Bailey, perhaps, was a touch too absent-minded when he strode out to bat at No. 10, with the score having nudged past 400. In a video clip that has gone viral on social media, the 34-year-old seamer, a few scalps short of touching 400 in his First-Class career, is seen dropping his mobile phone (yes) while attempting his first runs off Gloucestershire pacer Josh Shaw in the 114th over.
Reeling in the second run after a neat flick down towards fine-leg, Bailey dropped the phone at the non-striker’s, a few feet away from the umpire.
“Something has dropped out of his pocket. I think it’s his mobile phone!” observed one of the commentators. “No way!” said the other.
Though the commentators noticed that the bowler Shaw picked up the mobile, it is unclear whether it was handed over to the umpire.
— No Context County Cricket (@NoContextCounty)
“As much as it is hilarious and we are laughing about it, I almost wonder if that’s going to have to be reported. The fact that he was out in the middle .. (chuckles) with a mobile phone in his pocket (more laughs),” wondered the commentator.
Conspicuously, Bailey finished unbeaten on 22 off 31 balls, shoring up his side to 450 on day two of the contest.
Shared by the ‘No Context County Cricket’ on X (formerly Twitter), Bailey’s ‘caught-in-the-act’ moment received a facepalm emoji response from former England seamer Alex Tudor.
The King Langley Cricket Club opted for a subtler dig, tagging That’s So Village, an account famous for its collection of unusual moments from the wide world of village cricket.
Cleadon Cricket Club admin offered Bailey another role beyond the all-rounder’s tag at Lancashire. “He must run their social media accounts because admin has nearly walked out with phone in pocket a few times,” wrote the admin of the club part of the Durham North East Cricket League.
I can’t believe I just batted with my mobile phone in my left pocket accidentally. 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈
— Ravi Bopara (@ravibopara)
While a streak of other accounts laid out expletives and calls for lengthy suspensions, another user recalled this one time when former England bat Ravi Bopara wrote on Twitter: “I can’t believe I just batted with my mobile phone in my left pocket accidentally.”
Perhaps the jitter get the better of the County bats, as Bopara’s former teammate Owais Shah chimed in with a banter on the 2016 tweet. “Let’s be honest mate……. Does it REALLY surprise you!?? What do you reckon,” Shah wrote while tagging current ECB managing director Rob Key.
“I’m surprised Ravi remembers his bat.”
