A tale of two ‘oily’ protests during Ashes | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Nearly 50 years since it first happened, oil came to interrupt cricket again during the Ashes.
It was for a brief period this time. On Wednesday, protesters from an environmental activists group named Just Stop Oil barged on to the Lord’s pitch, shortly after the second Test between England and Australia had begun.

Play was interrupted as the climate protesters tried to spray orange powder on the pitch but were foiled by Jonny Bairstowwho got the better of one of the two protesters.The England batter hoisted the invader – who was shouting all along – on his back and deposited him like a sack of bananas to the security near the square leg boundary. The other demonstrator was dealt with by England captainBen Stokes and Australian opener David Warner, rivals momentarily united by a common cause.
Just Stop Oil campaigners, who want Britain to stop fossil fuel licensing and production, were not half as successful as supporters of George Davis, a London cab driver who had carried out an armed bank robbery.

With a key Ashes Test hanging in balance in 1975, they dug up the Headingley pitch and filled it with a gallon of oil to mark their protest against Davis’ 20-year jail sentence. At that point Australia were 220 for three and needed another 225 runs to win the game. Anything was possible. Sadly the match had to be abandoned. And the two teams left for The Oval for the final Test.

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Just Stop Oil protesters halt second Ashes Test at Lord’s

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<p>England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow wrestled a protester to the ground as climate activists briefly interrupted play on the first day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Wednesday.<br /><br /><br /></p>

<p>After the first over bowled by England’s James Anderson, the men emerged from the stands and moved towards the square sprinkling the group’s trademark orange powder before being tackled by security staff and players.<br /><br /><br /></p>

<p>Bairstow picked up one of the men and carried him off the field before dropping him to the ground outside the boundary markers.<br /></p>

<p>England captain Ben Stokes and Australia batter David Warner corralled the other protester. Some orange powder was released but only on the grass, away from the pitch.<br /></p>

<p>A third protester was tackled before making it onto the outfield. Spectators booed the protesters as they were led away by stewards.<br /></p>

<p>Following a delay of several minutes while the orange powder was removed by ground-staff, play resumed with Broad bowling from the Nursery End.<br /></p>

<p>”We are aware of protesters on the Lord’s Cricket Ground pitch today. Police have arrested three people and taken them into custody,” the Metropolitan Police said.<br /></p>

<p>Just Stop Oil, which wants an end to new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, have disrupted other sporting events in England this year, including the Premiership Rugby final and the World Snooker Championship.<br /><br /><br /></p>

A key member of the pro-Davis protest group was a guy named Peter Chappell (no relation to the Chappell brothers). He called up Greg Chappell on phone and cheekily asked for tickets before the Oval Test, wrote Ian Chappell in an article for cricinfo.com in 2016, adding: “‘Greg replied: ‘Peter, I’m happy to get you tickets for the Test as long as you promise not to dig up the pitch.'”
(WITH INPUTS FROM AP)

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