Just Stop Oil protestors delayed the England team bus on it’s journey to Lord’s for the opening day of their one-off Test against Ireland, according to an Instagram story posted by Jonny Bairstow.
“If we’re a bit late it’s not our fault…” Bairstow wrote, captioning a picture of a line of protestors walking slowly in the road. The delay was only a short one, with England arriving at the ground in good time for the pre-match warm-ups.
Protests by Just Stop Oil, a campaign group whose stated purpose is to halt new fossil fuel production, have affected a number of sporting occasions in the UK in recent times, including the Snooker World Championships and the Rugby Premiership final, with protestors entering the playing arena at each and pouring paint on themselves. It is not clear, on this occasion, if the England team were a target of the protests, or if they were caught up in a separate activity.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the MCC will be increasing their security measures to prevent any interruptions during this summer’s Lord’s Tests. “While protests would disrupt the game, we have a number of security measures in place, some visible, some less so to deter this,” an MCC spokesperson told the newspaper. “In some areas we have enhanced those existing provisions ahead of this summer’s schedule.”
Five minute hold up, apparently. Players have arrived at Lord’s
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) June 1, 2023
