Both the Indian and Kent cricket teams were involved in a bomb scare at the St Lawrence ground on Friday night.

The two sides had just completed a Twenty 20 match at the ground in Canterbury when police ordered players, staff and fans to evacuate all buildings at Kent’s home of cricket.

The Indian side were ushered under heavy security to the outfield before being taken away from the ground in a fleet of taxis.

With two other suspect devices having caused chaos in and around Canterbury throughout the afternoon, it came as a surprise to all of us at the cricket ground when we were told that we were having to move as far away from all buildings as possible.

Most of the fans had left the ground when at about 11pm we were informed by security staff and police that there was a suspect package in one of the bins behind the Frank Woolley stand and that we needed to evacuate the area for our own safety.

The Indian cricket team were just about to make their way out of the ground when they were informed of the ongoing security alert and were instructed to gather together on the outfield of the ground with police watching on.

Speaking exclusively to Kent Sports News prior to the evacuation, Indian batsman Rahul Dravid told us how they had been kept informed of the two suspect packages found earlier in the day:

“We have been told of the two devices by our security people, but as we have been playing whilst it has all been happening it is hard for us to know what is going on.”

“We’ll do what we are told by the police and our security staff, but it is always a concern to us.”

Dravid had played his part as his side beat Kent by five runs in front of around 7,000 fans packed into the St Lawrence ground and he insisted that he was surprised by the news that there could be potential bombs in Canterbury:

“I played here for six months some eleven years ago and I have never had any concerns, but it is the world in which we live in now and we have to go with what we are told by the security services.”

The Kent cricket side were instructed to evacuate to the entrance on Nackington Road with many players forced to find alternative transport home as their cars were within the security cordon imposed by the police.

Kent Police told us that the ground would be sealed off for the rest of the night with players, staff and the umpires forced to sit at the ground’s entrance pondering life without their belongings.

Umpires Jerry Lloyds and Billy Taylor were still at the ground with Kent players Matt Coles and Sam Billings gone 1:30am as they contemplated their options on where they would spend the rest of the night.

The bomb squad were still at the scene at the St Lawrence ground in the early hours with police forensic officers at the scene of the suspect package on the Old Dover Road near the railway line.

That package turned out to be a hoax with Kent Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Andy Adams releasing the following statement:

“This has been a difficult few hours for the residents of Canterbury and firstly I want to thank them for their patience and perseverance. This afternoon we took two calls, one about a suspicious device on the railway line near Old Dover Road and one about a small but suspicious fire in Marks and Spencer and we have responded to them with our colleagues from other emergency services.

“We are now in position to say that the first suspicious package on the railway line has been checked by Army bomb disposal experts and is not – as has been reported – an explosive device. We are satisfied it is in fact a hoax package designed to appear like a device. This is an extremely serious offence, and will be investigated thoroughly.

“The second incident at Marks and Spencer is still being investigated but the scene is secure. The small fire in the baby changing room on the second floor of the store is being treated as suspicious but it doesn’t represent a threat.

“During the course of these incidents we have had a number of calls in relation to potential packages. I would like to thank the public for providing us with information where they have genuinely believed we need to be informed.

“Every incident has been or will be assessed to make sure there is no threat posed.

“I can confirm that during the course of the evening we have received a call to suspicious activity in the Kent Cricket Ground. We are currently assessing this report.

“Once again I would like to thank the public, particularly those whose day has been disrupted by these incidents. Their safety has always been paramount.

“We take pride in policing one of the safest counties in the country. We take incidents like this extremely seriously, particularly when they disrupt our residents’ lives. We will do everything we can to locate and arrest those responsible.”

With the army bomb disposal squad called to the ground and remote controlled robots used to investigate the suspect package, the Indian team were taken to their hotel in a fleet of taxis under a heavy police presence with their team bus stuck inside the security cordon.

To listen to our piece with BBC Radio Five Live, click here