The pig and the butchers

At the Vitality Blast T20 Finals Day in Edgbaston last Sunday, I was sitting with my children in the stand opposite the Hollies stand. The cricket was fun, but part of the experience is what happens off the field. The Hollies are famous for their noise, costumes and energy, and it's more like a carnival than it is cricket.

During one of the pauses in play, when the steelbacks were changing ends, a man dressed as a pig came charging through the Hollies. Behind him, a group of butchers in aprons gave chase. The cameras picked it up and put the whole chase on the big screens, and the crowd roared louder with every turn. My children were in stitches, watching the pig weave through the stand until one of the butchers finally caught him.

Later, I learned from a sign in the toilets that this was more than just fancy dress. The tradition goes back to the 19th century, when a pig really did interrupt a match at Edgbaston. What started as an accident on the field has become part of the culture in the stands, a small reminder that cricket is as much about tradition as it is the game itself.