"We wanted to protect the wicket" - David Warner on Just Stop Oil protestors invading Lord's pitch on Day 1

Australian opener David Warner said that players wanted to protect the pitch from the protesters of the environmental activist group, Just Stop Oil, during the first day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Wednesday, June 28.

Just before the second over was due to be bowled, two men, wearing Just Stop Oil t-shirts, ran towards the pitch with orange-colored chalk and paint in their hands. The pitch invaders blew up the powder in the air before it landed on the ground. However, players managed to protect the pitch as England captain Ben Stokes and Warner stopped one of the protesters, while England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow lifted the other one and dropped him near the boundary ropes.

Speaking on the players’ move to interrupt despite being asked not to confront the protestors before the match, David Warner, in a press conference after Day 1, said:

"In that instance, we wanted to protect the wicket. We were told to stand away and be careful. We know what they are trying to do to the wicket, so for us, it was about protecting the wicket and the best interests of what we felt out there. I don't know what that chalk could have done to the wicket, but it would have been a long delay."

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David Warner's half-century sets up Australia at 339/5 on Day 1

In the first innings of the second Ashes contest at Lord's, David Warner provided a solid platform to the visitors with his 35th Test fifty. The left-handed batter scored 66 runs in 88 balls, smashing eight boundaries and one six as Australia finished the day at 339 for 5.

Steve Smith remained unbeaten on 85 to return to his best after managing 22 runs across innings in the Ashes opener in Birmingham. Smith was involved in two century stands — 102 with Marnus Labuschagne (47) and 118 with Travis Head (77).

Head played the role of an aggressor in one hour of the final session, displaying his free-flowing strokes to find the gaps. The southpaw belted 14 boundaries as he scored at 105.48 before a failed swipe against Joe Root led to his dismissal.

Three balls later, Root lured Cameron Green to pull against his quick turn, but the all-rounder could not connect it well and holed out to James Anderson at mid-off to depart for a three-ball duck.