‘Best pitch-invader ever’: Dog runs away with ball during T20 match

While a fielder picks it up and throws it towards the keeper, who fails to knock off the bails. As the ball rolls on the grass, a canine was seen rushing to play a ‘game of catch’.

The dog, much to the amusement of players, grabs the ball and dodges a couple of fielders before eventually stopping near Leckey at the non-striker’s end for some belly rubs. The video went viral across social media platforms amassing over 1.6 million views on Twitter alone.

Watch the cute interruption here:

🐶 Great fielding…by a small furry pitch invader!@ClearSpeaks #AIT20 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Oe1cxUANE5

— Ireland Women’s Cricket (@IrishWomensCric) September 11, 2021

The hilarious moment stopped the game for a while and had commentators laughing out loud, with one of them joking that the ball “may need a bit of a clean”.

After the ball was retrieved from the four-legged ‘fielder’, a man was seen escorting it out of the field. Play resumed after the brief interruption with Bready winning via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, BBC Sports reported.

Although the team won the match, it was clearly the pooch that stole the show online ‘playing’ for less than a minute. Netizens couldn’t stop loving the moment and it led to many sarcastic reactions and jokes online.

Nothing better than this will happen all summer pic.twitter.com/dSg6DfAaxy

— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) September 11, 2021

Doggo World Cup when, @ICC?? https://t.co/SgIaCaiSXa

— australian women cricket with very little context (@awcwvlc) September 12, 2021

Everyone wants to be #jarvo69 these days..@BMWjarvo, man, you created a trend! https://t.co/EqOyhZ0jRL

— ît’$_F@!Z (@SyedHazrath) September 12, 2021

That dog can easily get the job of a fielding coach by putting this on its CV😂 https://t.co/pP48Mrm1nJ

— Snehith reddy (@Snehith_RD) September 12, 2021

The perils of taking your dog to the cricket 😂 https://t.co/LA2J0s2Kf9

— Andy Carr (@BoltonRedSock) September 11, 2021

Well thank you very much – I shall count on Ireland Women’s Cricket to appropriately compensate my client – I’m thinking multi year contract with guarantees – and hi everyone.

— Amy Trask (@AmyTrask) September 11, 2021

Good fielding so this individual should be given chance in next match.

— Itisok To-Criticize-Religion (@LoveDov21183279) September 11, 2021

I love how the dog is captured by the offer of cuddles and not by force!

— miriam kimber (she/her) (@miriamlaila) September 11, 2021

The most ingenious ball tampering ever 😜

— Michael Blair (@fatcat39) September 11, 2021

pic.twitter.com/J7IOdi6JLA

— abhishekhavanur (@abhihavanur) September 12, 2021