- Impeccably observed tribute at England v South Africa Test
- ‘We’re going out there in her honour,’ says captain Ben Stokes
The first ball of the final Test between England and South Africa was delivered promptly at 11am, under leaden skies and in an atmosphere rendered sombre by the brief ceremony that preceded it, and a reminder that sometimes there is nothing so eloquent as complete silence.
Unbidden, the crowd at the Oval stood and fell quiet as representatives of the armed forces formed a guard of honour in front of the pavilion in the minutes before play was due to start, and remained hushed as the umpires and players of both sides emerged from their dressing rooms and walked through it before lining up for the anthems.
