No, the headline doesn't say that the game has been given up in Aalborg in North Jutland, Denmark. No, on the contrary there's plenty of cricket but the headline points to an episode that happened during aa end of season fun match that might have long term consequences for the game. The ground in Aalborg lies next to the main railway line from Aalborg towards the south and Aarhus and there's plenty of trains that pass. As it will happen cricket balls get hit over the fence onto the railway line or neighbouring area. The fence has manholes so players can go through to fetch the ball, something that most players in Denmark have had to do at one point in their careers. However the episode in question now puts a doubt whether players may fetch the ball at all and therefore the club might be forced to impose that only 4 runs may be scored for a boundary six plus a bill for a new ball.

What did happen that day? Niels Bindslev, who has played for Denmark, was one of the two players involved in the incident and he said to the local daily newspaper.

"We were two fielding deep on the leg side and the ball was struck clean over the fence for a six, as has happened so many times before. We go through the manhole and start looking for the ball. I notice a train is coming heading south and I say to Morten that we'd better be careful. It's a straight stretch of line and there's a good view so we have plenty time after spotting the train. So we stood there and waited for the train to pass. However the train stopped and the driver stuck his head out as asked us to jump up. Now I can't explain why we did it but we jumped in.

The driver asked us what we were doing. We told him that we were looking for the cricket ball. He then said would we mind going into the passenger compartment but as we thought we were about to get off, the train started moving"

I haven't tried this before, Niels continued, We were speechless. When the train finally did come to a halt at Skalborg station we had a feeling what was going to happen. When the doors opened we were met by two policemen to whom we told our story and the driver added that we were trespassing on railway property and had no right to be there. Later we were fined by the local magistrate but our club paid the fine for us."

Soon after the local paper carried the headlines "Cricketers kidnapped by train driver" Aalborg CC were outraged that two players were fined £40 for trespassing on railway property for doing something that has been going on for at least 50 years. And in the fence were built at least two manholes, a fact the railway authorities had known about. Funnily enough neither player were charged for not having bought a train ticket!

The chairman of Aalborg Cricket, Claus Pedersen said to the local paper:

"We all stood there and saw the two players get into the train when the doors closed where after the train drove off. It was outrageous. What the driver did was unlawful restraint of liberty. We have fetched balls across that fence for years without any incident at all until now. The manholes have been in the fence for years and within the last few months the fence has been repaired by the authorities without removing them. The football club will have the same problem. With that in mind theses fines are unreasonable."

The chairman has taken the problem to the local council who were baffled by the episode. In addition the railway authorities had to the local police explained that they had not authorised the manholes in the fence. This meant the two players were fined.

The local council will now take the issue up and have discussions with the railway authorities as it concerns both cricket and football

Claus Pedersen also said to the paper Nordjyske:

"Its fine the railway will discuss things but remove the manholes? Does that mean that every time a six has been hit we have to phone the signal box at Aalborg station? That's a solution we cannot live with."

Between then and now nothing has happened so the local press might have to get things going. We wait in suspense.