After an exhausting wait of 116 days, international cricket finally resumed today as England and West Indies took the field in Southampton to play the first match of the 3-match Test series which also marked the start of the English cricketing season.
The England Cricket Board (ECB) has worked incredibly hard to get the series underway as they have created a bio-bubble for the players and the support staff of both teams along with the umpires, television broadcasters and everyone involved in the series.
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All the people, who will be associated with the series, won’t be in any sort of direct contact with the outside world and will stay in the bubble created by the ECB.
With the series to be scheduled to start today, there was a lot of anticipation and excitement among the twitterati for day one of the first Test match, but the rain has spoiled the party a little bit so far, as only 4 overs of cricket have been possible.
An early lunch was taken because of consistent drizzle and wet outfield and the action finally got underway in the second session, however there have already been two rain breaks since the game started.
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The rain breaks, though, have not brought the excitement level of the twitterati who are just happy about the fact that their game is back.
The weather forecast for Southampton is not entirely awful today and it’s possible that there might be a few more overs of cricket possible in the third session.
England is batting at the moment having won the toss and decided to bat first, but they haven’t been off to a great start as Dom Sibley has been dismissed without scoring a run off the bowling of Shannon Gabriel.
While West Indies have come into the game with an all-pace attack of four fast bowlers, England have picked three fast bowlers and a spinner.
Stuart Broad, one of England’s Test match regulars over the last decade, has been dropped in favor of Mark Wood.
Here’s how the twitterati reacted on the return of international cricket –
International Cricket is back exactly after 116 Days ?
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) July 8, 2020
How good is it to have Test cricket back! #ENGvWI
— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) July 8, 2020
#ENGvWI Just before the start of play, our #MenInMaroon took a knee to show their solidarity against Racism with the Black Lives Matter movement. ??????#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/HQ63Q6T3yM
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) July 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/eklauta_/status/1280798479040708608?s=19
https://twitter.com/nic_savage1/status/1280853980336099329?s=19
In this small period – we have seen DRS, ball hitting the top of off stump and how difficult is life for batters in the current generation in tests. #ENGvWI
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 8, 2020
The West Indies dressing room
https://t.co/yCOdkWTbaw | #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/GukTqEXY0q
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 8, 2020
International cricket is back#ENGvWI
Le cricket fans- pic.twitter.com/n7ayxJtItb
— Mannat (@thandrakhleyar) July 8, 2020
First Wicket After Lockdown ?
It was great delivery by Gabriel?#ENGvWI https://t.co/dvdcv8h0RC— Anil Varma (@darling_varma18) July 8, 2020
One delayed start, one run, one wicket, one DRS, one rain break #ENGvWI
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) July 8, 2020
Cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket cricket
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) July 8, 2020
There were 113 days without first-class cricket (since 16 March). This is the longest gap between first-class matches since 1944 – 172 from 11 April to 29 September.
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) July 8, 2020
