Flying ants stump cricket players.

BATSMEN have told how a plague of flying ants put paid to a cricket match.

The Warwickshire Cricket League game between Nuneaton side Stockingford AA (the Cabbage) and Coventry team West Indian Wanderers was in its latter stages when the Cabbage's number seven batsman went in to bat.

Iffty Mulla desperately tried to shake off the pesky insects but in the end had to retire, amid much laughter from his teammates.

Lee Watkins, who was next in the batting order, said: "We thought Iffty had a bit of a phobia because he just moved back from the bowler and took his helmet and shirt off.

"It was quite funny at the time but after trying again, he just had to retire. I went in and couldn't even face one ball. It was unbelievable. They just swarmed all over my back. They were really big ants and people were getting bitten."

The captains of both teams and the umpires agreed to call a halt to the game at 8pm on Saturday.

The Cabbage were 111-6 at the end after the Wanderers had made 203-8 during their ant-free innings.

AA skipper Neil Woolaston said the ants were all at one end of the crease and the fielders weren't affected.

"We tried throwing water over them but they would not go away. In the end, there was nothing we could do as it was 8pm and with 17 overs left to our innings, it was obvious we didn't have enough time to complete the match."

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UNDER ATTACK: Lee Watkins