Just Stop Oil protesters have struck numerous events in the past few months,such as the World Snooker Championship,the Rugby Premiership final at Twickenham,and numerous English Premier League matches.
Cricket was also targeted last month when the England team bus’ departure for Lord’s was delayed before play in the one-off Test against Ireland.
Ben Stokes of England and David Warner of Australia attempt to stop a “Just Stop Oil” protester.Credit:Getty
A third protester was stopped by stewards before they were able to make it onto the field,having emerged from the eastern side of the ground. All three were subsequently arrested by London’s Metropolitan Police.
“I think I heard Jonny shouting ‘no’ and then I saw him running after him,” England seamer Josh Tongue said. “What he did was obviously a good thing because if they’d put the powder on the wicket who knows where the game would be now.”
Bairstow even received praise from as high up as the British prime minister’s office. An official spokesman for Rishi Sunak said:“The Prime Minister is pleased play was able to resume quickly and thanks security staff,the swift hands of Jonny Bairstow and other England players who stepped in”.
Broadcasters largely chose not to highlight the incident,but Ricky Ponting couldn’t resist a jokey reference to Bairstow’s first-Test wicketkeeping woes.
“I didn’t want to say anything,but the one chance that’s come Jonny’s way,he’s held on to so far,” the former Australian captain said on Sky Sports.
Australia’s players had been briefed by the ECB on the possibility of Just Stop Oil protests before the series. Guy Lavender,chief executive of the Marylebone Cricket Club that oversees Lord’s,decried the actions of the protesters.
“MCC condemns in the strongest possible terms today’s pitch incursion and with the behaviour of the protesters involved,” he said.
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“Their actions not only endanger themselves and those who work at the ground,but they have consistently shown complete disregard for the people who pay to attend events,not just here at Lord’s but around the country at other sporting venues.”
Australian captain Pat Cummins,who has been vocal in his push for action against climate change,had pleaded with protesters not to target pitches at the start of the tour.
“My view is always just there’s right ways to go about things and potentially not the right way to go about things,” Cummins said.
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“Whenever anyone’s got any beliefs,you just hope you take the right option.”
In 1975,a group protesting the imprisonment of George Davis,convicted of armed robbery,forced the abandonment of an Ashes Test match at Headingley by digging holes in the pitch.
Somewhat ironically given the nature of the protest at Lord’s on Wednesday,the 1975 demonstrators also damaged the surface by pouring oil onto it.
withAAP