Three individuals have been arrested for their disruptive actions during a protest at Lord’s cricket ground in London on the first day of the second Ashes Test.
The protesters, affiliated with a climate activism group called ‘Just stop oil,’ trespassed onto the pitch and threw orange powder onto the ground during the opening over of the game. Wearing T-shirts bearing the slogan ‘Just stop oil’ and carrying bags of orange powder, they attempted to damage the pitch.
England players intervened and prevented the trespassers from causing further harm to the pitch. Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow personally confronted one of the protesters, carrying him to the boundary rope before handing him over to the ground security and subsequently the police.
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Bairstow then quickly returned to the dressing room to change his gear, while the ground staff worked to clean up the mess, resulting in a brief five-minute delay.
The ‘Just stop oil‘ organization has been involved in various protests across the United Kingdom, including covering an energy company’s building in orange paint in Canary Wharf and disrupting traffic in London on a previous day.
As a precautionary measure, backup pitches have been prepared for future Tests to avoid potential game abandonment if a protester damages the pitch, which could have serious consequences.
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the organization responsible for Lord’s cricket ground, strongly condemned the incident and the trespassing of security during the Ashes Test. The protesters were taken into custody by the Metropolitan Police.
MCC Chief Executive Gary Lavender expressed the organization’s strong disapproval of the pitch incursion and the behaviour of the protesters involved. Regarding the match itself, Australia were at a score of 73-1 after the Lunch break, with Usman Khawaja being dismissed by Josh Tongue and David Warner at the crease.
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