The first ball of an 1893/94 match between Western Australia and Victoria was hit into the branches of a jarrah tree just inside the field of play. The ball was out of reach and so the home side appealed for "lost ball". The umpires however disagreed seeing as the ball wasn't lost because everybody could see exactly where it was.
The batsmen carried on running while the home side tried to find an axe to cut down the tree. They couldn't find an axe but instead brought out a shotgun and tried to blast the ball from the tree. After several misses, the ball was finally dislodged and fell onto the outfield.
Nobody thought to catch it. Therefore the batsmen claimed the 286 runs they had accumulated. The home side then declared their one-ball innings and went on to win the match
I LOVE a game where real axes and shotgun can be valid parts of the rules of play.
It does sound a lot more exciting than baseball. I think I should get the proper equipment and set up a cricket match down at a local park.
I wonder if chainsaws are permitted.