A BURY Cricket team had to run for cover when they came under fire from a sniper.

Woodbank Cricket Club's Second XI were 30 runs into their first away innings of the new season when their batsman and fielders from the Longsight Second XI were forced to leave the pitch as a marksman began taking pot shots from a nearby house. One pellet narrowly missed a fielder, and a female spectator's chair was struck by another pellet.

Mr Chris Milnes, the captain of the Brandlesholme side, said: "We could see someone hanging out of an upstairs window firing an air-rifle towards the cricket ground. No one was injured although two people came very close to being hit.

"We stayed in the dressing room for half an hour as police, wearing flak-jackets, stormed the house to reach the gunman."

Two boys, who had been firing at a target pinned to their garden fence, were later spoken to and warned by police about the consequences of their actions.

Woodbank went on to the win the match by a single run.

Mr Milnes added: "Obviously, the marksman didn't put the team off their game although being shot at isn't something you would expect during a cricket match."

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