Credit: Twitter
During the Finals Day of the Vitality Blast 2023, the highly anticipated Mascot Race produced hilarious scenes at Ed gbaston in Birmingham on July 15, Saturday. Since 2004, this race has been hosted every year between the mascots of all 18 county teams, who compete against each other on a customized set on the playing field to win the coveted crown.
As per the annual Finals Day tradition of the Vitality Blast, the Mascot Race was held after the first semi-final. The defending champion “Alfred the Gorilla,” of Gloucestershire, didn't take part in the proceedings, because he had a dodgy bunch of bananas overnight, according to Simon Doull, who revealed the hilarious piece of information on Sky Sports.
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With that sad loss, the Mascot Race began with only 17 participants, who all lined up in a single cramped row. The first-ever champion “Lanky the Giraffe,” representing Lancashire, had a solid start, which he kept right through the race to win it at a canter. The second place went to the “Charlie Fox,” of Leicestershire, while the final place on the podium was secured by “Freddie the Falcon,” of Derbyshire.
The official Twitter account of the Vitality Blast posted the entire race video, but they weren’t too shy away from questioning the validity of the win of Lanky the Giraffe, asking the stewards to check the start once again.
Watch the video here:
Shortly afterward, they tweet a poll, asking the fans, “Should Lanky the Giraffe be disqualified from the #Blast23 Mascot Race?”
Essex defeat Hampshire in the first semi-final of the Vitality Blast 2023
Before the Mascot Race, the crowd at Edgbaston in Birmingham witnessed a thriller of a first semi-final on July 15, Saturday. It was Essex, who managed to defeat Hampshire on the DLS method by five wickets, chasing down the target of 115 with three balls remaining.