Southampton: Players from both teams and match officials have taken part in a poignant gesture in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before play in the first Test between England and West Indies at the Ageas bowl.
The players, support staff and umpires all took a knee, with each member of the West Indies team wearing a black glove on his right hand, which they raised in a fist while kneeling.
After rain delayed the start of play in Southampton by three hours until 2pm, both teams stood in a semi-circle around the pitch to observe a minute’s silence for those who have lost their lives in the Covid-19 pandemic and for Sir Everton Weekes, who died on July 1 aged 95.
Immediately afterwards, the players – along with umpires Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth – took up their positions and all dropped to one knee, with the fielding West Indies players raising their gloved hand. England batsmen Rory Burns and Dom Sibley knelt at the crease as the rest of the England players and support staff were kneeling down on the boundary in a powerful showing of solidarity.
