Watch: Years before a hailstorm in Rawalpindi forced the 2023 Pakistan-New Zealand Rawalpindi T20I to be suspended, the 1992 Australia-West Indies Gabba Test had to be stalled due to the same natural phenomenon, with Dean Jones emerging to be an unexpected hero.
On the third afternoon of the first Test between the two sides, a torrid hailstorm lashed Brisbane, forcing the players out of the field, and turning the entire outfield from green to white in minutes.
The groundstaff proceeded to cover the main area with sheets, but they had little protection from the pelting hail, their raincoats doing little to help them from the raining lumps of ice.
That’s when Dean Jones sprung into action. Surprisingly dropped from the XI, Jones ran out in true 12th-man spirit, carrying a few batting helmets along. He went on to distribute them to the ground staff, braving the hail himself even as the pelting got worse.
There was more rain to follow – the severe thunderstorms even led to two powerful tornadoes, reportedly among Australia’s most destructive ones. One of them was classified as ‘F4′ on the Fujita scale.
The match went on to resume later, with West Indies managing to draw the Test, finishing on 133-8 in their chase of 231.
It was also the Test debut of Damien Martyn, who took Jones’ place in the middle order. Jones did not play any Tests thereafter.
Watch Dean Jones hand out helmets in a hailstorm:
