Just Stop Oil protesters disrupt second Ashes Test

Just Stop Oil protesters stopped the second Ashes Test with England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow forced to take matters into his own hands.

Ahead of the second over of the morning session at Lord's, two Just Stop Oil protesters raced onto the pitch.

Bairstow picked up one of the protesters and carrying them off the pitch.

The other Just Stop Oil protester was thwarted by security staff before being taken away from the grounds. The Metropolitan Police said three people had been arrested following the pitch invasion.

Bairstow had to briefly leave the field to change his top, after it was covered in orange powder, before returning ahead of Broad starting his spell from the Nursery End.

Speaking on BBC’s Test Match Special, commentator Jonathan Agnew said: "Jonny Bairstow’s dander was up there, he was like a flanker. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen again, let’s hope that’s the one attack on the Ashes this year."

Ricky Ponting, speaking in the Sky Sports studio, felt for the players after the hotly-anticipated match was halted so early in the battle.

"As a batter in the build-up you just want to get out there and under way. Delays are not ideal for anyone," he said.

"The batters just need to put something like this out of their mind."

Just Stop Oil tweeted about the incident, the organisation making claims about the commitment to environmental causes of Lord's itself.

"Lord's Cricket Ground boasts about being powered by 100% renewable energy, yet their principal partner is JP Morgan, the world’s worst fossil bank that contributed $317 billion in fossil fuel financing from 2016 to 2020."

England’s last Test at Lord’s had also been targeted by Just Stop Oil protesters, with Bairstow again involved.

Just Stop Oil protesters delayed England's