Jonny Bairstow has been praised as a hero by his England teammate Josh Tongue after he prevented Just Stop Oil protesters from potentially disrupting the opening day of the second Ashes Test at Lord's.
Bairstow took matters into his own hands when two activists from the group ran onto the field armed with orange paint dust, attempting to halt the match after the first over in the morning. Bairstow, who used to play rugby league, swiftly intervened and carried one of the protesters over the boundary edge before handing them over to the stewards.
His quick thinking likely prevented a longer delay if the paint had reached the wicket. The other protester was intercepted by security staff, while another was apprehended in the stands. All three were subsequently arrested.
Ashes debutant Tongue, who claimed two wickets in Australia's innings, admitted he wouldn't have been as courageous as Bairstow. He said: "Bit of a hero to be fair. If he didn't stop him, they could've got on the pitch and done something to the pitch. For myself, I wouldn't probably go towards them just in case they had anything else on them."
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Australian opener David Warner, who was at the crease when the incident occurred, commended Bairstow's actions, stating: "It was about protecting the wicket." Warner explained that he and England captain Ben Stokes were unsure how to respond initially, but they felt compelled to intervene due to the potential damage to the wicket.
The actions of Bairstow received praise from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesperson, who commended his swift intervention. The spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister is pleased play was able to resume quickly and thanks security staff, the swift hands of Jonny Bairstow and other England players who stepped in."
Just Stop Oil confirmed the incident on Twitter, stating that three of their supporters had disrupted the match. This group had previously caused delays for the England cricket team during their one-off Test against Ireland in June.
While broadcasters chose not to focus on the incident, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting playfully referred to Bairstow's excellent catch in the morning session. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests on Twitter, stating that three people were taken into custody.
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