Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Friday’s play between England and South Africa Men at The Oval was abandoned, notified an ECB release.
England vs South Africa. (Courtesy: Reuters)
HIGHLIGHTS
- England went into national mourning after the death of their longest ruling monarch
- Queen Elizabeth II was 96 at the time of her death
- England vs South Africa was abandoned on Day 1 due to rain
The second day of England vs South Africa’s final match at the The Oval has been abandoned for Friday after the country went into national mourning after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, England’s longest ruling monarch.
The England Cricket Board notified of the developments with a press release stating that all cricketing activities were abandoned for Friday.
“Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Friday’s play between England and South Africa Men at The Oval, along with all scheduled matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, will not take place,” the note said.
The first day of the match on Thursday had to be called off due to rainfall without a single ball being played.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board is deeply saddened at the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen and her late husband H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, both had a long history of supporting cricket and England’s national sides,” the ECB press release read.
“The two were Patrons and honorary life members of the MCC, and showed their support by attending games as often as they could over a 50-year period stretching from the early 1960s through to the first day of the second Ashes Test in 2013. H.M. Queen Elizabeth II was the United Kingdom’s longest-reigning monarch. She ascended the throne on 6 February 1952 and was coronated on 2 June 1953,” it further added.
“Before the 2019 Men’s ICC Cricket World Cup, the Queen hosted all 10 competing captains at Buckingham Palace to wish them good luck. She later sent a message of congratulations to the victorious England team after its final victory over New Zealand,” it said.
“I’m sure I speak for everyone in the game when I say how truly sad I am to hear of the Queen’s passing. Her Majesty has been such a great supporter of the game and was always so vocal of her and her late husband’s enjoyment around the sport. Her dedication to her country will never be forgotten. For her service and her selflessness over her extraordinary reign, we owe her a debt that can never be repaid,” ECB Chair Richard Thompson said.
The series hangs in balance with England and South Africa winning a match apiece. England had won the toss on Friday and put South Africa to bat first.
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