Top 5 instances of players reaching the venue after the start of the game

1. Vasbert Drakes – Border vs Free State, 2002 SuperSport Series

Vasbert Drakes returned to the West Indies national side after seven years as he featured in the 2002 Champions Trophy hosted by Sri Lanka. The Caribbean team lost to South Africa in their first game and later got the better of Kenya.

However, they failed to qualify for the semi-final and took the flight to London once the knockouts began. Drakes reached London along with his team on September 25th. He was signed to play for the Border in the 2002-03 SuperSport Series that began on September 20th.

He had already missed the game against KwaZulu-Natal which Border won by 76 runs. They were set to hosts the Free State team at the Buffalo Park in East London beginning on 27th September. Drakes took a long flight on the eve of the match as the Border team were set to name the West Indian in the playing XI despite him reaching halfway through the first day. Luckily for the Border team, they won the toss and elected to bat first as the International pacer had enough time to reach the venue.

However, the home side kept losing wickets and were 35/4 by 11th over only. But the Border team skipper Pieter Strydom played a gritty knock to rescue his team. He along with Tryon Henderson added 79 runs in 23 overs for the 7th wicket.

Henderson struck 10 fours during his 59-ball 53 and got out at 2:08 PM local time. However, there was no information about Vasbert Drakes who was supposed to reach around 2:00 PM. Strydom got out at the score of 171/8 after scoring 67 from 148 deliveries.

At this juncture, Border cricket manager Stephen Jones received a telephone call from the East London airport saying that the plane in which Drakes was travelling was delayed and would reach at 3:45 PM only.

The venue was 11 km drive from the airport and it was doubtful whether Drakes would even take the field on the first day let alone batting at No.11. The usual batting position of Drakes was No.7 only. The Border team lost their 9th wicket at the score of 172 three overs after their captain’s dismissal.

Border’s innings concluded with Drakes ruled ‘Timed Out’ as he did not reach the crease in time. Vasbert Drakes finally took the field on the second day where he picked up a couple of wickets as Free State posted 349. Drakes was outside South Africa and that too travelling in the air for the majority of the first day.

Border, in the second essay, bowled out for just 136 and lost the game by an innings and 41 runs. Drakes scored 7 from 32 balls batting at No.7 in this innings.