The officials of batting side Abahani and some spectators rushed to Sri Lankan Philip Mendis when he took the bails from the stumps for a tea break after 64.4 overs were played and the willow-holders were 229 for five wickets.

The angry officials tried to assault Mendis thinking that the umpires had abandoned the match as just before the incident Abahani skipper Akram Khan came to the rope to say something to the match referee after he had a hot exchange with the Lankan.

However, other senior men of Abahani could refrain the angry officials from the bitter incident amidst huge hue and cry from the supporters who were apparently showing agitation against Mendis for his some ``controversial decisions'' earlier.

Later, it was clear that former national captain Akram had come near to the pavilion to lodge complaint with the match referee after he was being blocked from taking runs by Biman bowler Sohel, but ``umpire Mendis didn't respond to his complaint''.

In the meantime, the umpires announced the tea break keeping Akram Khan near the rope creating confusion among the Abahani batsmen in the pavilion, their officials as well as some 3,000 spectators in the galleries.

Akram, who was not supposed to come near the rope for any reason while the match was going on, later told the newsmen that he got angry as umpire Mendis asked him ``not to talk like a stupid'' as he lodged the complaint.

In local cricket, assault of local umpires was not a rare incident in previous years. Their many controversial decisions had also created confusion among the players and spectators for which the league organisers have been forced to bring umpires from abroad.

However, any attack attempt on a foreigh umpire took place for the first time Friday. In another incident recently, Pakistani Aamir Hanif had threw ball towards the same umpire, Mendis after he accused the bowler of ball doctoring. Hanif was cautioned later.