The England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday decided that day two of the third and final Test between England and South Africa will not take place on Friday following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday, September 8, at the age of 96 after 70 years on throne. The Day 1 of the third test was called off due to rain.
Taking to Twitter the England and Wales Cricket Board announced, "Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Friday's play between England and South Africa Men at The Oval, along with all scheduled matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, will not take place. For fixtures beyond Friday, updates will be provided in due course"
ECB in it's statement said, "The Queen and her late husband H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, both had a long history of supporting cricket and England’s national sides. The two were Patrons and honorary life members of the MCC, and showed their support by attending games as often as they could over a 50-year period stretching from the early 1960s through to the first day of the second Ashes Test in 2013."
New ECB Chair Richard Thompson while offering his condolence said, “I’m sure I speak for everyone in the game when I say how truly sad I am to hear of the Queen’s passing. Her Majesty has been such a great supporter of the game and was always so vocal of her and her late husband’s enjoyment around the sport. Her dedication to her country will never be forgotten. For her service and her selflessness over her extraordinary reign, we owe her a debt that can never be repaid.”
The series is level at 1-1, with both tests finishing inside three days. South Africa won the first by an innings and 12 runs at Lord’s only to be hammered by an innings and 85 runs in the second at Old Trafford.
