Pigeon is out for a duck

Jacques Rudolph, the South African cricketer, accidentally killed a pigeon while attempting to throw the ball to a team mate during a Twenty20 match.

The bird was struck after flying straight into the path of a throw from the Yorkshire fielder during a match against Lancashire at the weekend.



South African star Rudolph had launched the ball towards Yorkshire's wicket keeper from just inside the boundary rope when he accidentally floored the bird which had been flying at around 40ft above ground.

After mistakenly sinking the unfortunate pigeon, fielder Rudolph retrieved the lifeless bird from the pitch and disposed of it over the boundary in front of spectators inside Yorkshire's ground at Headingley, Leeds. Rudolph then returned to his fielding position on the boundary, before waving sheepishly to the cheering home crowd.



Television commentators declared after watching replays of the one-in-a-million accident: "The ball's hit a pigeon, and the pigeon is no more. Jacques Rudolph is the man with the pigeon's blood on his hands here.

"Rudolph did the fielding, he gets the ball in the air, and with about as much accuracy as a patriot missile he downs the incoming pigeon. Poor old pigeon."