On Wednesday, international cricket resumed after a forced gap of 117 days due to the coronavirus as England and Windies team took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement with an intense cloud clover in Southampton. England stand-in captain Ben Stokes won the toss after the rain delay and he decided to bat first but just after three overs, another rain interruption occurred.

The players gathered in a semi-circle on the pitch before play started and remained in silence for a minute in memory of the victims of the coronavirus and West Indies great Everton Weekes, who took his last breathe last week at the age of 95. They the players dropped to one knee in support of theBlack Lives Matter campaign against racial injustice. Both teams are wearing BLM logos on their shirts during the three-match series.

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West Indies players were seen wearing black gloves on their right hands in an echo of the “Black Power” protests made famous by US athletes at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. At the end of the day’s play, England were 35-1 as the rain gods kept on interrupting.

Sokes, standing in for Joe Root expressed his excitement ahead of the restart of cricket. He had said, “I know everybody has been craving this, certainly from a players’ point of view but I also think from a spectators’ and fans’ view. This is a massive occasion for a lot of people.”

Players and officials are staying at the hotel which is inside the stadium itself to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and bowlers are not allowed to use saliva to shine the ball as part of strict measures to control the spread of coronavirus.

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West Indies have not won a Test series in England since 1988, but they are currently defending the Wisden Trophy after winning it by 2-1 margin in the Caribbean last year.