The Underarm Controversy
It was the final ball of a one-day international between Australia and New Zealand in 1981. New Zealand needed six runs to tie the match. Australian captain Greg Chappell, wanting to leave nothing to chance, instructed his younger brother Trevor to bowl
the final delivery underarm, rolling it along the ground. This made it impossible for the batsman, Brian McKechnie, to get the elevation needed to hit a six. While technically legal at the time, the act was universally condemned as being against the spirit of the game. The Prime Minister of New Zealand called it "an act of true cowardice." The incident sparked outrage and led to the immediate banning of underarm bowling in limited-overs cricket, forever marking it as one of the game's most unsportsmanlike moments.
Dennis Lillee's Aluminium Bat
In a 1979 Test match against England, Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee walked out to bat with a secret weapon: an aluminium bat called the ComBat. It was a marketing stunt for a business partner. The first hint that something was unusual was the strange metallic 'clunk' when he hit the ball. England's captain, Mike Brearley, complained to the umpires that the bat was damaging the leather ball. A nearly 10-minute argument ensued, with Lillee refusing to switch. Eventually, his own captain, Greg Chappell, had to march onto the field and insist he use a traditional willow bat. Lillee, in a fit of pique, threw the metal bat towards the pavilion before begrudgingly continuing with a wooden one. The laws of cricket were soon amended to specify that bats must be made of wood.
A Car on the Pitch in Delhi
During a Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in 2017, play was shockingly halted when a man drove his car directly onto the field of play at the Palam Air Force ground. With international stars like Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma, and Rishabh Pant on the field, the silver Wagon R casually did two loops of the pitch area before stopping. The driver, who identified himself as Girish Sharma, claimed he was lost and didn't see any security at the gate. He was detained by Air Force police and later handed over to Delhi Police. While thankfully no one was hurt, the incident was a major security breach and left players and officials completely stunned.
The Miandad vs Lillee Showdown
Dennis Lillee features again, this time for a confrontation with Pakistan's Javed Miandad during a Test in Perth in 1981. After playing a single, Miandad collided with Lillee while completing his run. Accounts differ, but video footage suggests Lillee intentionally blocked the batsman's path. Miandad pushed past him to get to the crease, and in response, Lillee appeared to kick the batsman. The already-tense situation exploded as Miandad, a famously fiery competitor, turned and raised his bat as if to strike the bowler. Umpire Tony Crafter and Australian captain Greg Chappell quickly intervened to prevent a full-blown physical fight on the pitch. It remains one of the ugliest player confrontations in Test history.
When Bees and Bulls Stop Play
Cricket has seen its fair share of animal invasions, from dogs and cats to snakes and squirrels. But few are as memorable as swarms of bees stopping play, forcing players and umpires to dive to the ground for safety, an event that has happened in multiple international and domestic matches. Even more dramatic was a 2026 league match in England that had to be abandoned after a runaway bull stormed the field. The 800kg animal, which had escaped a nearby farm, charged at players and could not be safely removed, forcing the game to be called off. The owner even tried to lure it away with a cow, but the spooked bull refused to leave.
