A Rare Foggy Day in Cricket: Match Abandoned for Only Second Time in 148 Years

On Wednesday, spectators at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow witnessed an extraordinary and highly unusual event in the annals of cricket. The fourth T20 International between India and South Africa did not even reach the toss before being declared abandoned, leaving fans disappointed and players frustrated. The culprit: dense, persistent fog that drastically reduced visibility, making play impossible.

Hundreds of enthusiastic supporters had gathered in anticipation of an exciting contest. India, aiming to secure the series, and South Africa, hoping to level the score and make history, were both ready to take the field. Yet the thick fog rendered all plans null. Umpires conducted six separate inspections of the pitch and outfield throughout the evening, and on each occasion, the verdict was the same: conditions were unsafe for play.

Timeline of inspections and events:

• 18:30 IST: First inspection; toss delayed.
• 19:00 IST: Second inspection; no improvement.
• 20:00 IST: Third inspection; heavy dew and waterlogged areas visible from camera vehicle tracks.
• Final inspections: Despite pre-rolling and covering the pitch with heavy sheets, conditions remained unplayable.

Ultimately, the match was officially abandoned, a rare occurrence in international cricket. Questions arose about whether this was the first time a match had been lost to fog. The answer is no. In 1998, in Faisalabad, Pakistan, the third Test between Pakistan and Zimbabwe was abandoned due to extremely dense fog. Players could not even take the field, and on the fourth day, umpires declared the match a no-result. That decision had sparked debate, as weather conditions reportedly improved later in the day. The incident had also raised concerns about scheduling matches in December in Faisalabad—a similar debate has emerged now regarding December cricket in Lucknow.

While Zimbabwe celebrated their first Test series victory in Pakistan due to the 1998 abandonment, South Africa in Lucknow were left disappointed. They trail India 2-1 in the series, and the cancellation of the fourth T20 deprived them of a chance to win a T20 series in India for the first time in ten years.

In the 148-year history of international cricket, a match being abandoned due to fog is exceptionally rare. Lucknow has now witnessed only the second such occurrence in cricketing history, adding a peculiar footnote to the game’s chronicles.

Rare Fog-Related Match Abandonments in International Cricket