New Delhi: Day 2 of the third Test match between England and South Africa has been suspended after the demise of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The England Cricket Board also confirmed that no scheduled games will take place on September 9 after the news of the Queens’s demise broke out. The Test match might get suspended as day 1 was washed out by rain and day 2 was suspended.
Four games in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, which were to be played on Friday, were also suspended. For the fixtures beyond Friday, ECB will provide the updates in ‘due course’. The ticket-holders for day 2 will be getting their refund, the board added. ECB is also in talks with the government and other sports authorities for a further course of action.
Meanwhile, the South African team and the board are ready to accept whatever ECB come up with. The series stands at 1-1 after South Africa won the first game and England bounced back in the second match.
ECB chairperson Richard Thompson also expressed grief and talked about how the Queen was a great supporter of the game. He added, “For her service and her selflessness over her extraordinary reign, we owe her a debt that can never be repaid.”
A similar incident occurred when England was playing a Test match against India in 1952 and the news of King George VI’s demise broke. Day 2 of the Chennai Test was announced as a rest day and India went on to record their first-ever Test victory on day 4.
In the ongoing series, South Africa dismissed England for 165 in the first inning of the first Test after Kagiso Rabada picked a 5-fer. The Proteas scored 326 after Sarel Erwee’s 73(146) and won the game after getting England all out for 149. In the second Test, the situation was completely opposite. England dismissed South Africa for 151 in the first inning following three wickets each by Broad and Andersen. Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes scored a century each to post a total of 415/9d. The Proteas got all out for 179 as Ollie Robinson picked four.
