England vs South Africa Test: Why second day's play has been suspended?

The England Cricket Board (ECB) has suspended the second day of the third Test (Friday, September 9) at the Kennington Oval in London, versus South Africa due to the demise of Queen Elizabeth II. The ECB also declared that the scheduled games of the ongoing Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, the English women’s domestic competition, will not be played either.
The royal authorities announced the Queen’s death at 6:30 PM according to UK time on Thursday (September 8). After which the board shortly suspended the second day’s play. The first day of the match was washed out due to rain without a ball being bowled after England won the toss and chose to field first.

The England and Wales Cricket Board is deeply saddened at the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The thoughts of everyone involved in the game are with the whole Royal Family.

— England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) September 8, 2022

The ECB stated the matter, which read, “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. For fixtures beyond Friday, updates will be provided in due course.”

Richard Thompson, the board’s chairperson too, expressed his grief over the Queen, passing away, and remembered her contribution to the nation’s wellness. He 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,” added Thompson.

The Queen was Britain’s longest reigning monarch and had graced the cricket field with her presence on several occasions.

Related: India’s World Cup 2022 Squad

The third Test’s fate yet to be decided

The ECB are in conversation with the English government to decide the future of the third Test. The board furthermore went on to confirm that the ticket holders for Day 2 will be able to receive a full refund. Moreover, the ECB and CSA (Cricket South Africa) officials are in discussions over the matter and have met to examine if Day 2 can be moved to Saturday or cancel the whole derby.

England leveled the series after losing at the Lord’s by an innings

Besides, the series currently stands at 1-1, with England winning the second Test in Manchester at Old Trafford, while South Africa (SA) won the famous Lord’s contest.
SA pacers, in the first Test, didn’t let the English batters sustain as the hosts followed on and endured a defeat by an innings and 12 runs. Kagiso Rabada picked seven wickets in that Test, while his teammate and SA opener Sarel Erwee was the highest run-scorer for his side. Erwee notched 73 runs in 146 deliveries with six boundaries in his account.
In the second Test meanwhile, Ben Stokes and co. bounced back with the help of Stokes himself and Ben Foakes’s centuries. Stokes also picked four wickets and aided his side in a significant victory over the visitors by an innings and 85 runs.

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