An unusual incident unfolded during the 2025 T20 Blast tournament in England. The match between Kent Spitfire and Gloucestershire at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, had to be halted—not due to rain or bad weather, but because of blinding sunlight. Yes, you read that right. Gloucestershire Cricket confirmed this rare occurrence on their official social media.

Match Update: Kent Sets Target

Kent Spitfire batted first, posting 157 runs for 9 wickets in their 20 overs. Harry Finch top-scored with 42, followed by captain Sam Billings with 38 and opener Twanda Muye contributing 33. For Gloucestershire, Ajit Dal was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for 24 runs, while Matt Taylor and Josh Shaw chipped in with two wickets each.

Why Was the Match Stopped?

The chase began well for Gloucestershire, but at around 8:15 pm local time, the game had to be paused. The low-angle sun was shining directly into the eyes of both Gloucestershire openers, making it impossible for them to see the ball properly. For player safety, both openers left the field and took an 8-minute break near the dugout.

Gloucestershire Cricket tweeted:
“Rather than rain, the sun is in the eyes of the batters. For the safety of the players, the sides have come off the pitch. Score remains 29/0 [3.2]. #BecomeGlorious”

Gloucestershire Clinches Victory

After the pause, Gloucestershire bounced back strongly and won the match by 7 wickets. Captain Jack Taylor starred with an unbeaten 54, supported by Oliver Price’s 41* and D’Arcy Short’s 33. Miles Mahmood also contributed a vital 25 runs.

This win marked Gloucestershire’s first victory in six matches, while Kent has now won three out of seven and lost three. In the T20 Blast 2025 South Group standings, Gloucestershire sits eighth and Kent is sixth.