World Cup 2019: Jason Roy knocks down the umpire Joe Wilson in Cardiff in a hilarious collision

In 1997, a crucial league match between India and Pakistan in a four-nation tournament in Sharjah was underway when one funny incident happened. Navjot Singh Sidhu was batting with Sourav Ganguly and as he tried to take a quick run, the former Punjab batsman rammed into the umpire – Steve Bucknor – from behind. Sidhu seemed to have hurt his chin in the collision but for the fans, it was indeed a fun-filled moment in an otherwise serious battle between the two arch-rivals.

Twenty-two years later, something similar happened at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. In a World Cup encounter between hosts England and Bangladesh, English opener Jason Roy slammed a scintillating century (153 off 121 balls) that powered his team to a daunting 386 for 6 in 50 overs. Bangladesh were never really in the contest despite a century from Shakib Al Hasan (121 off 119) and were all out for 280 to lose by 106 runs.

Fielder missed the ball on the boundary and Roy didn’t see the umpire

However, it was when Jason Roy completed his hundred, his ninth in ODIs, that he ‘took on’ the umpire and none could really stop laughing to see the episode unfold on the ground. Roy, who was particularly ruthless with the Bangladeshi pacers, pulled a short one from Mustafizur Rahman in the 27th over towards the deep square leg when he as on 96.

The batsman went for a single keeping his eyes fixed on the fielder who was around the spot. The umpire, Joel Wilson from the West Indies, was also noticing the ball and did not see that he was on Roy’s collision course. The fielder, meanwhile, missed the ball and it went to the boundary. But Roy and Wilson could not avert each other and batsman rammed into the umpire, flooring him and reacting in utter embarrassment. The ball’s crossing the boundary took Roy to his hundred as well.

Roy’s teammates, who were eagerly waiting for his century, were ecstatic but shocked at the same time to see the former knocking out the umpire. Roy nevertheless helped Wilson to get back on his feet and the 52-year-old took it sportingly as well.

Here’s the video: