England captain Ben Stokes says it was an honour for his side to walk out against South Africa in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with Stuart Broad commenting the day felt like a celebration of Her Majesty’s life.
The decisive third Test between England vs South Africa got under way on day three on Saturday, with players and supporters observing an immaculate minute’s silence in honour of The Queen.
Ahead of the start of play, tributes at the Kia Oval included a guard of honour, a minute’s silence and the national anthems, which saw a stirring rendition of ‘God Save the King’.
For Stokes, Broad, supporters in the ground and the commentary team including Michael Atherton, Kevin Pietersen, Nasser Hussain and Andrew Strauss, it was a special day and described as an “extraordinary moment”.
England captain Ben Stokes told:
“It has been very sad news for not only the nation but the world.
“She is someone who dedicated their life to the nation, and that is something we can take incredible inspiration from.
“We are honoured to be able to walk out in memory of The Queen.
“We know how much she loved the sport. The show must go on. Sport is something that brings people together.
“I’m sure she will be proud that we’re walking out in her honour.”
