On Friday, pitch invader gaining fame by the name of ‘Jarvo’ was on arrested for his inappropriate behaviour during the fourth Test against India at The Oval.
The English fan invaded the playing arena during the first session of Day 2 in the penultimate England-India Test of the summer. This spectator dressed in whites suddenly got on the ground and started running close to England batsmen and the Indian fielders.
He then attempted to deliver a fake ball at Ollie Pope and, in the process, ended up bumping hard into Jonny Bairstow, nearly hurting the batter. The non-striker then obviously had an angry exchange with the invader while the on-ground security guards came around him and started dragging him off the field.
This was the third instance in the series where this person nicknamed Jarvo or Jarvo 69 has interrupted the action. He did the same in the second Test at Lord’s and then again during the third Test at Headingley.
ESPNcricinfo reported that the “stewards at The Kia Oval held him (invader) until police arrived to make his arrest”.
The report also mentioned Surrey are concerned about the breach of security at the ground and have begun a review of the incident.
“A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault following an incident at the Oval Cricket Ground on Friday, 3 September. He remains in custody at a south London police station,”
a statement from the Met Police read, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
After his invasion at Headingley, Yorkshire county banned Jarvo from entering the stadium for life. Surrey are now expected to follow suit.
But the repeated breaches from a crazy attention-grabber like this poses a question mark on the on-ground security of players and officials at venues in England, an issue that ECB should immediately focus on resolving.
