The highly anticipated Lord’s Test between England and Australia commenced on Wednesday morning at 11 am. The opening over, bowled by James Anderson to Australian batter David Warner, began uneventfully. Warner managed to hit a boundary, leaving the score at 4/0.
However, before Stuart Broad could start the second over to Usman Khawaja, chaos ensued as two protestors stormed onto the field, carrying orange paint dust. Amid the confusion, it was Jonny Bairstow who reacted swiftly, grabbing one of the invaders and escorting them towards the boundary edge.
England’s captain, Ben Stokes, was also seen attempting to stop one of the intruders who was donning a white T-shirt bearing the words ‘Just Stop Oil.’ Fortunately, the incident had minimal impact on the game, with the pitch remaining unaffected. Bairstow temporarily left the field to change his shirt, but he quickly returned through the iconic Long Room at Lord’s. Play resumed shortly after, allowing the match to progress smoothly.
It is worth noting that this was not the first time Bairstow has encountered a pitch invader. In 2021, during the fourth Test against India at the Oval, the wicketkeeper-batter was involved in an incident with the YouTube prankster known as Jarvo 69. The pitch invader collided with Bairstow while he was on the outfield.
Bairstow’s actions at Lord’s have once again demonstrated his ability to handle unexpected situations with composure. His quick thinking and intervention prevented any major disruptions to the game, earning him applause from both players and fans alike.
Here are some videos of the incident:
Play was delayed at Lord's due to protestors invading the pitch, with Jonny Bairstow removing one of them from the fieldpic.twitter.com/5dVSjHdEQY
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 28, 2023
Well if ya storm the field you’re gonna have to deal with Jonny Bairstow#Ashes2023 #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/ZbFZ9A3pEl
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) June 28, 2023
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