LONDON: 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.
Just before Stuart Broad bowled the second over, two protesters from Just Stop Oil ran out of the Grandstand and onto the outfield, sprinkling the group’s trademark orange powder on the square but not on the pitch.
Bairstow grabbed one of the demonstrators and carried them off the playing surface, with the other apprehended by stewards.
A third demonstrator was tackled before making it onto the outfield at Lord’s, the spiritual ‘Home of Cricket’ in north-west London.
Spectators booed the protesters as they were led away by stewards.
Following a delay of several minutes while the orange powder was removed by ground staff, play resumed with Broad bowling from the Nursery End.
This match was the latest British sports event to be disrupted by climate activists Just Stop Oil following similar protests at the Premiership rugby final at Twickenham and the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
Joe Perry’s first-round match, against Robert Milkins in the World Snooker Championship, had to be stopped when a man jumped onto the table and emptied a bag of orange powder across the green baize.
Stunned fans watched on as half of the table and many of the balls were covered in the cloud of powder, with the man kneeling on the baize for several seconds before a security guard dragged him away.
The man was wearing a white t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan ‘Just Stop Oil’ on the back.
On the other table at the Sheffield arena, the match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi was interrupted when a woman, also wearing a ‘Just Stop Oil’ t-shirt, tried to get on the baize at the same time as the male protestor.
She was dragged off by referee Olivier Marteel before any powder was thrown.
“Two people were detained after protesters gained entry to The Crucible earlier this evening,” a South Yorkshire Police statement said.
“A 30-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. Both are in police custody.”
Just Stop Oil also delayed the England team bus taking the side to Lord’s for the lone Test against Ireland earlier this month.