Stand collapsed at the Riverside as England took on West Indies in the solitary T20 game

The solitary T20 match between England and the West Indies saw a deadly accident take place in the stands on Saturday. A stand in the Emirates Riverside in Chester-le-Street collapsed partly, leaving at least 3 supporters injured. The incident took place at the north-east corner of the ground during England’s run chase on the 16th of September.

According to Daily Telegraph reports, the photographs of the incident gives us a hint that a section of the floor of a make-shift stand caved in and a female spectator fell through the hole leaving herself injured. The stewards emptied the place immediately and the fans were asked to shift. The place had to be sealed as a precautionary measure. About 200 spectators were moved to the empty parts of the ground after the breakdown.

“During the course of the second innings between England v West Indies at Emirates Riverside, three spectators were injured when a small section of the North-East Terrace flooring became unstable causing them to fall,” Durham County Cricket Club said in a statement.

“Stewards took precautionary action and evacuated that area of the stand efficiently. The stand is a permanent fixture at the venue and had passed inspections in the week prior to the match.” the statement added. The temporary stands at the Riverside have been problematic since long and the stadium has hosted 26 international games since 1995.

The match:

However, the West indies reigned supreme in the high-intensity encounter owing to some power hitting display up front from Chris Gayle and the in-form Evin Lewis. The Universe boss smashed 3 maximums to register a score of 40 from just 21 balls while Lewis had his own share of 3 sixes in his score of 51 from 28. The West Indies ended the innings at 176 for 9 in their 20 designated overs.

Coming onto chase the target, no Englishmen could step up to the task expect Jason Roy being the lone warrior. Roy scored a flamboyant 43 run innings from 17 balls but could not help England cross the target. The Three Lions were bundled out for 155 handing Carlos Brathwaite and his men n emphatic win.