Melbourne: The start of post-lunch session of the day 3 of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and Pakistan delayed after third umpire Richard Illingworth got stuck in a lift at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), leading to funny scenes on the field on Thursday.
Pakistan players and Australian batters came out to start the post lunch session, but the on field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough didn't called the start of play even after players were ready. Both the on-field umpires were then informed that third umpire (TV Umpire) Illingworth had not reached to his station at the MCG and the broadcasters immediately panned the cameras toward his empty seat.
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The game is delayed because the third umpire ... is stuck in the lift #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/eSuKyPQp56
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">The game is delayed because the third umpire ... is stuck in the lift #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/eSuKyPQp56
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023The game is delayed because the third umpire ... is stuck in the lift #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/eSuKyPQp56
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023
"The game is delayed because the third umpire...is stuck in the lift," Cricket Australia's social media arm posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Englishman was trapped in a lift while returning from the dining area back to his designated seat.
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A wild Richard Illingworth appeared! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/7Rsqci4whn
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">A wild Richard Illingworth appeared! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/7Rsqci4whn
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023A wild Richard Illingworth appeared! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/7Rsqci4whn
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023
Australia opener David Warner saw the funny side to the situation and was seen laughing while reserve umpire Phillip Gillespie ran towards the box to substitute Illingworth as the third official.
Steve Smith, who was batting with Warner at that time, was overheard asking Wilson whether he could sit down until Illingworth returned. A few minutes later Illingworth got out of the lift and proceeded to his seat, and play resumed after a few minutes. "A wild Richard Illingworth appeared!" Cricket Australia's said in another post on X.
Coming to the match, Australian skipper Pat Cummins took his 10th five-wicket total in test cricket to help Australia earn a 54-run first-innings lead over Pakistan. But Pakistan made slight come back from the innings break to take the wickets of opener Usman Khawaja for a duck and Marnus Labuschagne for five, leaving Australia two wickets down for only six runs and an overall lead of 60 at lunch.
Pocket Dynamite David Warner, who was appearing in his last test series for Australia, was on 1* at the lunch break.
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