Unruly scenes ruled the day at Keenan Stadium here as spectators ran out of control after the final day of Jharkhand-Delhi group A Ranji Trophy match was called off on Wednesday for the fourth consecutive day due to soggy outfield.
Angered over the repeated cancellation of the match every day the crowd went berserk and started throwing stones at the lush greens of Keenan Stadium. Some in the crowd also broke the grill and entered the ground in the morning.
Delhi team manager Suresh luthra talking to the media persons after the official announcement of the match being called off, said our team has big international players like of Virendra Sehwag and Guatam Gambhir but we have lost an opportunity to start of the season with a win, we are the stronger side compared to Jharkhand but have to be content with only 1 point. Both the teams have been allotted 1 point each.
The three galleries of the stadium were opened for the spectators to enjoy the match and all the three were jam-packed on all the four days of the match but dejected fans had to go back empty-handed and without being able to catch a glimpse of their star Sehwag and Gambhir for whom several admirers had come all the way from Ghatshila and some from Chandil.
Around 5,000 spectators were present from 8 am in the morning hoping for play to begin on the final day of the match which was just a formality. At 9 am after the inspection by the umpires and match referee said the ground was not fit for play and announced the next inspection at 12 noon. Not a single seat in the gallery was empty and crowd hoping for a 12 noon start were sitting in the stands but a shocker came after the inspection at 12 and umpires declared it unfit for play due to wet outfield. Soon after the announcement, the crowd erupted and started pelting stones on the ground.
The crowd which started throwing stones was uncontrollable and filled the ground with pebbles. Soon the police was pressed into action and they lathi-charged creating panic among the crowd and the stands were emptied soon after the same. Several cameras of the state board have been damaged, local photographers were also targeted and couple of them was injured.