English cricket match has 22 Patels

Cricket umpires and scorers were stumped when they had to oversee a local cricket match in which all 22 players shared the same surname, according to a report Thursday in Britain's Sun tabloid.

The cricketers, all named Patel, were playing a Sunday league match in the northern English city of Bradford, which has a high Asian population.

One Patel was caught Patel bowled Patel for two runs. Top scorer was Patel with 18. In total 11 of the wickets were caught and bowled by Patels, and two Patels were run out.

Don Butterfield, secretary of the Bradford Mutual Sunday School League, said the match between Amarmilan and Yorkshire LPS was unique.

"We've never known anything like it," the Sun quoted him as saying. "Luckily they only play each other twice a season - it was a nightmare for the umpires.

"I think we have created a little bit of history. It might have happened in India but never here."

Cricketing "bible" Wisden called the game "extraordinary. The chances of it happening must be billions to one."

Umpire Toy Higgins called the match "bizarre". "At one point there was a bit of banter and I said 'can Patel please be quiet' and they all shut up," he told reporters.

Even the scorer was called Patel, 15-year-old Amit. "Some players even had the same first four initials so everyone's names had to be written in full," he was reported as saying.

Amarmilan secretary and medium pace bowler Chandu Patel, 49, said many of the players are related and originate from Gujarat.

In the match, Amarmilan beat Yorkshire LPS by 31 runs, 106 to 75.