But, as soon as the spectators realised they'd got it wrong, they all just trooped back from where they had come, good as gold, and we finished the game.
Times have changed since then and no-one wants to see cricket matches being held up by people coming on to the field.
I can well understand why the players are so concerned about getting injured in the stampede. Look at what happened to that poor steward at Headingley last weekend when England were playing Pakistan. Someone will end up really badly hurt if this keeps up and it's all so unnecessary.
Fans who invade the pitch are not even watching the game prop-erly - or if they are then they don't care about the result - because they are jumping over the boundary boards before the match is over. It's ridiculous and the sooner these people are heavily fined the better. That has sorted out the problem back at home and I'm sure it would work here as well. Anyway, with a bit of luck, we should all be treated to a cracking match at Lord's tomorrow.
I would make Australia favourites, but not by much because Pakistan are playing some solid cricket at the moment and they did Steve Waugh's team pretty comprehensively at Trent Bridge the other day. Australia's performance can vary a bit but Pakistan are in a different league to everyone else when it comes to being unpredictable.
Take the World Cup final at Lord's two years ago. Waugh's blokes just blew them away and their victory could hardly have been easier. But this game looks a lot closer to call and perhaps the memories of 1999 will work more in Pakistan's favour that Australia's because revenge can be a serious driving force.
Both teams are full of potential match-winners and it is hard to spot a weak link in either XI. Inzamam-ul-Haq is probably Pakistan's most interesting character because he could win it with the bat almost by himself, or lose it for the team with some dodgy running between the wickets.
Inzy is not the quickest, that's for sure, and Australia will always fancy their chances of getting a run-out when he's doing the calling. As for their bowlers, Waqar Younis is in red-hot form again after taking 13 wickets in the last two matches.
Australia needed to get back on course after losing to Pakistan in Nottingham and did so by whipping England at The Oval yesterday. As I said earlier this week, England badly needed to finish the tournament on a high. Instead, their backsides were kicked again.
They couldn't even get the toss right yesterday as far as I'm concerned. When the coin came down Alec Stewart's way it was a time to back the bowlers, instead of hoping they could post a 300 total.
Darren Gough and Andy Cad-dick might have enjoyed themselves at the expense of Australia's top order. Instead, Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming were given the chance to get stuck in and didn't need a second invitation.
All England can do now is to try to forget almost everything about this one-day tournament because it's been a shocker for them.
