Bewildered cricket players had to resort to clapping to try and scare away a snake, which snuck onto the pitch and interrupted a Ranji Trophy game in India.

The game between Andhra and Vidarbha was just about to start on Monday in the city of Vijayawada in southeastern Andhra Pradesh state. But then, a large greenish reptile suddenly appeared on the field, immediately stopping all the action.

The players patiently waited and looked at the snake as it crawled across the pitch. Some cricketers encircled the scaly invader and vigorously clapped to drive it away. It is not clear yet for how long the match was delayed, but the staff had to get involved to chase off the snake.

It is also not clear what kind of a snake it was.

In 2012, a game between England and India’s Haryana state, played in Ahmedabad, was delayed because a monkey hopped across the field. Two years ago, another match in India was interrupted by a car, whose driver got lost and accidentally drove onto the pitch.

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