While English cricket deals with (literally) bolts from the blue, Japanese baseball has been forced to call off a game for bird strike.
The Kyodo News reports the game between Rakuten Golden Eagles and Seibu Lions was abandoned after eight innings, after a flock of birds began swirling around the field, terrorising players, and couldn't be scared away.
The attack followed a rain delay and bird fanciers have identified the species as phalaropes, who are known to spin while searching for food in the water.
The game, played in the coastal city of Sendai, ended in an 8-8 draw.
