[Watch] Zimbabwe cricketer's flamboyant bat-throwing celebration goes wrong as flying willow hits umpire's leg

A bat-throwing celebration by a Zimbabwe cricketer after hitting a match-winning six during a domestic game went wrong as the willow ended up hitting the unsuspecting on-field umpire. Despite striking the umpire, the batter continued celebrating and pulled out what seemed like a dance of joy.

As per a report in wisden.com, the bizarre incident occurred during the match between OGO Rangers and Rainbow 1 Cricket Club in the group stage fixture of Zimbabwe's National Premier League competition on Sunday, July 28.

Rainbow 1 Cricket Club were set to chase 230 in the 45-over match. The equation came down to four off the last ball, with Francis Sande on strike against Zimbabwe's international player and opposition captain Ryan Burl. The leg-spinner bowled one outside off stump and allowed Sande to free his arms. The right-handed batter swung the bat hard and the ball landed outside the off-side ropes.

Immediately after hitting the match-winning six, Sande flung his bat high in the air. The willow landed just short of the umpire at the non-striker's end, but the momentum of the bat meant that it ended up hitting the match official's leg.

Watch the video below

The umpire seemed to be in pain briefly and held his right leg for a while with his hand. He then regained composure like a professional and signaled a six.

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What happened in the match between OGO Rangers and Rainbow 1 Cricket Club in Zimbabwe's domestic competition?

Batting first in the National Premier League match, SOGO Rangers posted 229. They were bowled out with five deliveries left in their innings. Mathew Welch top-scored for the Rangers with 52, while Tanatswa Marumani scored a quick-fire 34 towards the end of the innings. For Rainbow 1 Cricket Club, Daniel Jakiel and Sande starred with three wickets each.

In the run chase, Rainbow 1 Cricket Club lost openers Ronak Patel and Dhruv Patel inside the first 10 overs, with only 23 on the board. Lavert Masunda (66) scored a fighting half-century to lift the batting side. He fell with the score at 181 in the 38th over.

Bowling stars Sande and Jakiel then joined forces and took Rainbow 1 Cricket Club past the finish line. Sande was unbeaten on 41, while Jakiel contributed a crucial 22* as their team celebrated a memorable win in a thriller.