With The Ashes beginning in Australia in a week’s time, a build-up with the hosts’ bowlers making statements – with or without ball in hand - is usually par for the course. While Mitchell Starc has already triggered off warnings about unleashing his toe-crushing yorkers and bagging hat-tricks (note the plural), Australia’s frontline spinner Nathan Lyon inadvertently set off alarm bells, literally.
In what would rank as one of the most bizarre reasons to interrupt a cricket match, a kitchen blunder by Lyon triggered off the fire alarm during a Sheffield Shield first-class match between Queensland and New South Wales at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
Lyon, who was in the dressing room while his New South Wales team-mates were batting, decided to make himself a snack but forgot to keep an eye on the toast, which had all but reduced to, well, ashes.
The fire alarm went off, forcing one entire section of the ground, that houses the players, scorers and fans, to be evacuated for 30 minutes before play resumed.
"[The toast] popped up first and I wasn't happy so I put it back down and I got carried away watching the cricket," Lyon told the Cricket Australia website.
Still in confession mode, the off-spinner admitted this sort of blunder isn’t new. Only this time, though, it involved the fuss of fire engines and his gracious captain Steven Smith agreeing to foot the cost.
"It happens every second week [at home], I reckon. I was getting a bit bored in the change-rooms,” Lyon told the website.
"Steve Smith already said he's going to cover it [the fire truck call-out fee].”
While Lyon may not give England the shivers just yet, they would do well not to underestimate him. Or else, they would be toast.