Women's Big Bash League players compared part of the SCG roof to a "crashed plane" as they saw it being carried from the iconic sports ground during warm-up for Saturday's Sydney derby double-header.
Play was delayed for an hour in the women's clash between the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder, as gates remained closed to patrons while repairs were completed.
It's understood one panel from the Bradman Stand roof fell onto the ground, while another was found to be loose as players warmed up on the ground after the toss.
"None of us knew what was going on, we just got a very panicked 'Everybody get off the field'," Sixers quick Sarah Aley said.
"Once we found out what the reason was, we thought it was probably a good idea to get inside.
"It was something very different.
"I saw the big sheet of the metal as I went to get some paint to mark my run up. It was quite big, I can understand why they wanted to get people off the field."
No overs were lost following the incident, but the delay meant the Thunder's four-wicket win over their cross-town rivals was wrapped up less than an hour before the men's game was due to start.
"I didn't personally see it but I saw them carrying it away and it looked like a bit of a plane had come down," Naomi Stalenberg, who top-scored for the Thunder, said.
"It was just one of those things you can't really prepare for."
The issue comes just a week after the ground held more than 180,000 people across the five days of the fifth Ashes Test, before another sell-out crowd packed in on Saturday night.
SCG officials offered waiting fans $20 vouchers and said the issue had been resolved when fans were allowed entry to the ground.
"A panel on the SCG roof had to be secured after heavy winds. We apologise for the delay," the venue's Twitter account posted.
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