Three spectators were injured, and close to 200 had to be shifted to another part of the ground after the partial collapse of a temporary stand at the Emirates Riverside in Chester-le-Street where England was taking on the Windies in the one-off T20I on Saturday (September 16).
The mishap took place in the north-east corner of the ground when England was chasing. English news outlet Daily Telegraph reported the photographs showed a section of the floor of a make-shift stand caved in, resulting in a female spectator injuring herself after falling through the hole. Other viewers were immediately moved to another part of the stand, while the spot of the accident was sealed as a precautionary measure.
https://twitter.com/1and1makes3/status/909192385380388864
“During the course of the second innings between England v West Indies at Emirates Riverside, three spectators were injured when a small section of the North-East Terrace flooring became unstable causing them to fall,” Durham County Cricket Club said in a statement released soon after the accident.
“Stewards took precautionary action and evacuated that area of the stand efficiently. The stand is a permanent fixture at the venue and had passed inspections in the week prior to the match,” it added.
Your man in orange is stood over it. #ENGvsWI. Feels excessive to be moving an entire block. pic.twitter.com/lM5X5HiJpj
— Christian Cerisola (@ChristianCeriso) September 16, 2017
Meanwhile, there were more forgettable moments for the local fans, as Windies beat England by 21 runs to win the one-off T20I. Batting first, the reigning World T20 champions rode on Evin Lewis’s blistering half-century and his senior partner Chris Gayle’s stroke-filled 40-run knock to post a challenging 176 for nine in the allotted 20 overs.
In reply, the hosts were all out for 155 with Alex Hales’s whirlwind 17-ball 43 runs knock being the only bright spark in an otherwise dismal batting performance. Kesrick Williams and Carlos Brathwaite were the destructor-in-chief, as they picked up three wickets each.