Watch: Matthew Potts rushes to pigeon's aid after it gets smashed as chaos unfolds in ENG vs WI 3rd ODI

A rare lighthearted moment occurred during the third ODI between England and the West Indies at The Oval when a flock of pigeons briefly interrupted play. England fast bowler Matthew Potts stopped the game to check on one pigeon that was accidentally hit by a shot from a West Indies batter.

The West Indies posted a total of 251 for 9. Sherfane Rutherford scored 70 off 71 balls. Gudakesh Motie also made a valuable contribution with 63 runs. Alzarri Joseph added 41 runs toward the end. Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse, and Matthew Potts each took two wickets, while Rashid Khan secured three wickets.

Watch: Pigeon Halts Play Briefly; Matthew Potts Tends to Injured Bird

The incident took place in the 29th over of the West Indies innings. Gudakesh Motie played a cover drive off Adil Rashid’s delivery that accidentally struck a pigeon resting on the pitch. While the rest of the flock immediately flew away, this particular pigeon remained grounded.

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Matthew Potts stopped play to check on the bird and tried several times to help it take flight. After a few attempts, the pigeon finally flew off, allowing the game to continue. The unusual moment amused commentators and viewers alike.

England cricket took to social media X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the clip with the caption, "Pigeon stops play ⛔️ Luckily Matthew Potts has everything under control 👌"

Pigeon stops play ⛔️

Luckily Matthew Potts has everything under control 👌 pic.twitter.com/juyl06Kp2n

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 3, 2025

Matthew Potts Claims Two Wickets as England Restrict West Indies to 251

Matthew Potts, Saqib Mahmood, and Brydon Carse each took two wickets in the first innings. Adil Rashid led the attack with impressive figures of 3 wickets for 40 runs in 8 overs.

After England captain Harry Brook chose to field first, the match was reduced to 40 overs due to a lengthy rain delay. The West Indies managed to post a total of 251 for 9.

England had already secured the series with convincing victories in the first two ODIs. They chased down the target in the 30th over with seven wickets in hand. Jamie Smith scored 64 runs off just 28 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes.

We'll Have a Good Chat Over a Drink Tonight - Harry Brook

After the match, England captain Harry Brook praised his team for their commanding display that clinched a 3-0 series victory. He expressed satisfaction with his captaincy debut and looked forward to celebrating the team’s success together.

"The way we started was amazing, to get 400 on the board. And today was awesome as well, it was all about being dominant and go 3-0 up in the series. Jacks has been mega down the order, Bethell as well. And Smudge (Jamie Smith) tonight," Brook said.

"There will be opportunities for Bethell and Jacks to bowl plenty of overs, and I like having that depth with our batting. That's what helped us in Cardiff. (On his captaincy) Happy to get off the mark, the boys played really well and we'll have a good chat over a drink tonight. We'll celebrate this one," he added.

Also read: Watch: Virat Kohli turns into Akaay, hugs Ravi Shastri like a child after RCB's IPL win; Anushka Sharma reacts