Cricket Match in Cardiff Delayed After Seagull Steals Ball, Refuses to Give It Back

Play at Sophia Gardens was brought to a standstill yesterday after a rogue Cardiff seagull swooped onto the pitch, stole the match ball, and refused to return it for over 40 minutes.

The incident occurred during the second day of Glamorgan’s County Championship match against Derbyshire, with the home side bowling. Glamorgan seamer Rhys Evans had just begun his run-up when the bird executed what witnesses called “a perfect mid-air interception,” snatching the ball from the outfield with “the precision of a drone strike.”

THE DRAMA
Players, umpires, and ground staff looked on helplessly as the seagull — nicknamed “Big Dave” by local fans — landed on the boundary rope and began pecking at the ball in what experts later described as “an act of pure spite.”

Attempts to retrieve the ball proved futile.

“We tried clapping, shouting, even offering him a chip,” Glamorgan captain Matthew Lewis said. “He just stared at us, like he knew we couldn’t play without it. Absolute power move.”

Derbyshire wicketkeeper Ben Taylor attempted to lure the bird away with a leftover ham sandwich from his kit bag, but the seagull instead stole the sandwich and the bag, taking off again to rapturous applause from the crowd.

OFFICIAL RESPONSE
Umpire Nigel Pritchard halted play under Law 2.5 (which covers “unfit conditions for play due to rogue avian interference”), while ground staff scrambled to locate a replacement ball.

Glamorgan coach Steve Hughes admitted this wasn’t the first time seagulls had interrupted play in Cardiff, but called this “the most calculated and organised example” he’d ever seen.

“We’ve had birds nick players’ lunches before, but this was deliberate sabotage. That gull knew the rules of cricket better than some of our bowlers.”

THE AFTERMATH
The match eventually resumed with a replacement ball, but not before “Big Dave” made one final flyover, dropping the original ball into the River Taff.

Local RSPB spokesperson Carys Morgan said:

“We don’t condone the theft of cricket equipment, but you have to admire the tactical nous. That seagull clearly has a future in the shorter formats of the game.”

Glamorgan went on to lose by 76 runs. Big Dave was last seen circling the stadium during the post-match interviews, possibly scouting for the man of the match champagne.