[Watch] Square-leg umpire hilariously loses footing and falls while evading the ball in HBH vs ADS 2024-25 BBL match 

A funny incident unfolded during the 24th match of the 2024-25 Big Bash League (BBL) between the Adelaide Strikers (ADS) and Hobart Hurricanes (HBH) when umpire Sharad Patel, standing at square leg, amusingly lost his balance and tumbled face-first while trying to avoid a ball. The match took place at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Sunday, January 5.

The moment of interest occurred during the second innings of the game. On the fifth ball of the 12th over of the Hurricanes' innings, D'Arcy Short bowled a googly on leg stump, which batter Nikhil Chaudhary attempted to sweep.

As the ball headed towards square-leg umpire Sharad Patel, he tried to move out of the way but ended up stumbling and falling to the ground. The commentators couldn’t help but laugh at the moment, and Sharad, clearly amused, was seen laughing along and giving a thumbs-up in good spirits.

Here’s a video of the moment:

Chasing 187, Hurricanes openers Mitchell Owen (37 off 16) and Matthew Wade (27 off 18) provided a strong start, putting on 61 runs from just 28 balls. However, Shai Hope (11 off 12) and Ben McDermott (17 off 14) were dismissed cheaply, and the Hurricanes lost four wickets for 101 runs. Nikhil Chaudhary also contributed a steady 22 off 22 balls.

The turning point came when Tim David found his stride. The explosive batter went on the attack, reaching his fifty off just 22 balls. David remained unbeaten on 62 off 28 balls, hitting three boundaries and six sixes, leading Hobart to a five-wicket victory with eight balls to spare.

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Decent contributions from Chris Lynn and skipper Alex Ross helped the Strikers post a respectable total on the board

Adelaide Strikers won the toss and chose to bat, but they didn’t get off to the best start, losing D'Arcy Short for just one run off two balls. Jake Weatherald also failed to make a significant impact, dismissed for 13 off 12 balls. Chris Lynn played a key role, scoring 49 off 27 balls, with five boundaries and three sixes.

Ollie Pope contributed 33 off 27 balls, while captain Alex Ross added a solid 47 off 29. In the final stages, Jamie Overton remained unbeaten on 27 off 18, as the Strikers finished with 186/5 from their 20 overs.