So many things were different, yet so much the same as the English weather, which ruined the first day of the first test between England and the West Indies, when international cricket returned after four months away.
England and the West Indies only managed 82 minutes of play on the rainy opening day. The players started with one knee to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
England was 1-35 at stumps after having only faced 17.4 overs due to light and intermittent rain in Southampton’s Rose Bowl.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, no spectators were present for a game that was played in an isolated, bio-safe environment.
Rory Burns was 20 years old and Joe Denly was undefeated at 14. Dom Sibley, the man who was kicked out of the 10th delivery of the day by Shannon Gabriel.
Just before the first ball was thrown, the West Indies field players knelt on the outfield while their English counterparts did the same at the border to support a move that has grown since George Floyd’s murder in the United States in May.
Before the game, West Indian star Michael Holding and former England international Ebony Rainford-Brent showed in a video that they talked about the racism they had experienced during their careers.
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“Racism is taught. Nobody is born a racist,” said Holding. “The environment in which you grow, the society in which you live, promotes and teaches racism.”
There was also a Black Lives Matter logo on the collar of the test jerseys worn by players on both teams.
The kneeling gesture was made before the Premier League games since football resumed in England last month.
“It was a great moment,” said Gabriel, “to show something we stand for and that racism doesn’t matter in cricket.”
English assistant coach Graham Thorpe said it was important to show solidarity with the West Indies players.
“We don’t want racism in our game and we want a fair and equal society for our children,” said Thorpe.
The players also stood for a minute’s silence in honor of those who died in the coronavirus pandemic and the great Everton Weekes in the West Indies that died last week.
The game started after a three-hour delay due to light rain and wet field and only lasted three overs before the teams had to go back in for another shower.
Until then, Sibley had seen his stump thrust back after a badly judged exit of a ball that bent.
After that, the players went to the rain three times and no game was possible after 16.28 local time.
“It was a bit difficult to get back and forth,” said Gabriel, who had numbers from 1 to 19 on five overs.
“We only have to stay tuned when we come back. It was a tough day, but we’ve done well so far.”
Ben Stokes, England’s substitute captain because Joe Root was absent due to the birth of his second child, won the throw and decided to hit in the cloudy sky.
For the first time as a captain, Stokes made a big impression when he skipped the experienced fast bowler Stuart Broad – a long-time regular player on the team.
Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and James Anderson will make up England’s pace attack along with Stokes.
After the throw was made, Stokes briefly forgot the social distance when he shook Holder’s hand. Holder moved his hand away and both all-rounders laughed.
AP / ABC
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