Mark Adair during his action vs Scotland [x.com]
Cricket is known for its unpredictability and surprises, and the 5th T20I in the 2024 Tri-Series between Ireland and Scotland proved this once again.
The match, held at Sportpark Westvliet in The Hague on Thursday, May 23, featured a bizarre incident that caught the attention of cricket fans worldwide and quickly went viral on social media.
Watch: Unusual Delivery By Mark Adair
Scotland won the toss and chose to bat first. During the last ball of the 4th over, an unusual event unfolded. Ireland’s right-arm fast bowler, Mark Adair, coming over the wicket, bowled to Scottish batter Michael Jones.
The delivery, however, did not go as planned. The ball slipped out of Adair’s hand, rolled along the ground well outside off-stump, and bounced multiple times before reaching Jones. Despite the unusual delivery, Jones managed to shimmy forward and drill the ball through extra cover for a boundary.
Umpire Pim van Liemt immediately signaled a no-ball, followed by the signal for four runs, due to the ball bouncing more than once before reaching the batter.
This rare occurrence is seldom seen in international cricket, making it a talking point among fans and experts alike.
In the match itself, Scotland set a target of 158 runs for Ireland. Despite the rare no-ball, Mark Adair made a strong comeback, taking three crucial wickets. Ireland successfully chased down the target with three balls to spare, winning the match by five wickets.