Fielder in magpie’s firing line

AS if standing in the searing heat for hours on end wasn’t enough, Mudgeeraba Nerang cricketer Jai Kurt was swooped relentlessly by a territorial magpie in the field last weekend.

Kurt, 18, said he could recall similar incidents at Runaway Bay’s Sam Loxton Oval growing up on the Gold Coast but never thought he’d be on the receiving end of a black and white attack.

Sensing an attack was incoming, Mudgeeraba Nerang statesman Kevin Chapman instructed his junior to go and field on the boundary.

“I guess seniority has the final say but he did give me the move along,” Kurt joked.

The 18-year-old said he’d been swooped by a plover previously but nothing compared to being in the firing line of an angry magpie.

“I could see the shadow coming and I could hear a wind clap in my ears but I couldn’t actually see it coming,” he said.

“It was pretty terrifying. “The guy who was fielding next to me was trying to warn me when it was about to hit.

“I didn’t want it coming down and nipping my ear and making me bleed or anything like that.

“I was there for five overs and it came at me every single ball.”

The off spinner was eventually called into the bowling attack, gleefully leaving his boundary post while his teammates were thrown into the line of fire.

And even then, Kurt doesn’t recall the magpie attacking Runaway Bay fielders while his side was at the crease.

Luckily for the Bushmen, the magpie assault was well worth it as Kurt’s team ran out strong winners in Round One of Kookaburra Cup action.

Palm Beach Currumbin will have the dreaded task this weekend of playing at Sam Loxton Oval, taking on Runaway Bay, while Mudgeeraba Nerang will face Alberton Ormeau.