WATCH | Spidercam floors Proteas' Anrich Nortje at the MCG

The crowd copies Anrich Nortje of South Africa as he warms up on day two of the second Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 27 2022.
Image: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

David Warner's bludgeoning of their bowling and the heat at the Melbourne Cricket Ground were not the only things the Proteas had to worry about on day two of the second Test on Tuesday.

In a freak accident pace bowler Anrich Nortje was taken out by the 'Spidercam' — the mobile, cable-suspended camera that takes aerial shots over the field — as it collided with his head.

While clattered hard, Nortje was not injured in the incident. 

Australia's Channel 9 Wide World of Sports reported: “Proteas fast bowler Anrich Nortje was the victim of a stray Spidercam, which left him lying on the turf in shock.

“During a short break in the second session on day two, the Fox Cricket broadcast cut to Spidercam vision as the suspended camera whizzed around the outfield.

“But the operator failed to see Nortje standing there with his back to the approaching camera. It spectacularly collided with the South African player, who dropped to the ground.

“Luckily, Nortje was able to get to his feet and resume playing.”

The incident added insult to injury on a poor day for the Proteas as Warner struck 200 off 254 balls before succumbing to cramps and retiring hurt to steer Australia to 386 for 3 in response to SA's first-day 189.

It has been an eventful Test for Nortje.

On day one he earned a chant of “You are a legend” from the famously boisterous home crowd. After being humorously booed for “not being Kagisho Rabada”, the bowler good-naturedly shrugging it off, signed some autographs and, cheered by the crowd, “downed” a bottle of water.

Temperatures rose to 37°C at the MCG on Tuesday.