Much else
about the occasion felt very different, as the match is being played in a
‘bio-secure environment’ at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl with daily health checks
for everyone in the ground — with no fans present.
Players
from both teams ‘took a knee’ before the match started, having observed a
minute’s silence to mark the victims of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and
also the legendary former West Indies batsman Everton Weekes, who died last
week.
Ben
Stokes, standing in as England captain for Joe Root, whose wife has just had a
baby, won the toss and opted to bat under overcast skies.
Only
three overs were possible before the rain returned, but that was long enough
for Shannon Gabriel to take the first wicket of the three-match series as
Sibley was bowled by a ball he left but which cut back to clip off stump.
It looked
a poor decision at any time but all the more so as in the previous over he had
seen partner Rory Burns lucky to escape an lbw review after doing exactly the
same thing.
After
further rain delays, England eventually settled to their task. The left-handed
Burns was not out on 20 and Joe Denly on 14 when bad light brought them off
half an hour before the scheduled 1600GMT tea break. Fast bowler Kemar Roach
was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, giving away just two runs from six
excellent six overs.
England’s
top end batting remains something of a work in progress but the strength in
depth of their bowling options was illustrated by the decision to leave seamer
Stuart Broad out of a home Test match for the first time since 2012. Pace duo
of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood will spearhead their attack.
It is
almost four months since England’s warm-up match in Sri Lanka was abandoned due
to the Covid-19 threat and no cricket has been played since. This series will
feature many variations from a regular test due to the virus restrictions.
There are home umpires — the first time in England since 2002 — with Richard
Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth the on-field officials and Michael Gough
monitoring TV replays and because of that each team will have three referrals
instead of the usual two per innings.
Former
England batsman Chris Broad — who is father of Stuart — is the match referee.
Players
are not allowed to use saliva to polish the ball and umpires will not take
jumpers and caps from bowlers.
