England’s wicket-keeper, Jonny Bairstow, swiftly intervened, removing one of the protesters and carrying him 50 meters off the pitch. The incident led to a brief delay as the ground staff worked to clean the powder from the wicket, while Bairstow took the opportunity to change his gloves and tidy up. The crowd at Lord’s responded with boos towards the protesters, cheering Bairstow’s actions.
Protesters Targeting Sporting Events
Just Stop Oil, the activist group responsible for the pitch invasion, has gained notoriety for targeting high-profile sporting events. In addition to the incident at Lord’s, they have disrupted events such as the Snooker Masters, the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final, and even the Chelsea Flower Show.
Their objective is to draw attention to environmental concerns related to the oil industry, but their methods have drawn criticism for disrupting sporting events that many fans eagerly anticipate.
England finds themselves trailing 1-0 in the 2023 Ashes series following Australia’s thrilling two-wicket victory in the opening Test at Edgbaston. In the second Test at Lord’s, England’s captain, Ben Stokes, made just one change to his lineup.
Joshua Tongue making his Ashes debut in place of Moeen Ali, who suffered from blistering during the previous match. The team aims to bounce back from their loss and perform well at the iconic Home of Cricket.