A swarm of bees caused multiple delays in an international cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka on Saturday.

The South African cricket team shared video from the broadcast of the game showing dozens of bees swarming the field as players took to the ground to avoid the insects.

"A swarm of bees has caused a temporary pause to proceedings," the Cricket South Africa Twitter account said.

Players attempted to resume the game, but soon left the field after it became clear the bees were not leaving.

The grounds crew tried various methods to dispel the bees including swatting them away with a stick, spraying them with a fire extinguisher and splashing them with a bucket of soda, but the bees held their ground.

Ultimately a professional beekeeper was called to the field who managed to gather all of the bees into a plastic box filled with honeycomb.

The swarm delayed the match for about an hour, but players eventually were able to finish.