Rain disrupts WI, ENG Test

SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP):

International cricket returned yesterday after a four-month absence with England and the West Indies managing just 82 minutes of play in a rain-hit opening day of the first Test that started with players taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

England was 35-1 at stumps having faced only 17.4 overs because of light but intermittent rain at Southampton's Rose Bowl, where there were no spectators for a match being played in an isolated environment because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Rory Burns was 20 not out and Joe Denly was unbeaten on 14, with Dom Sibley the man out bowled by Shannon Gabriel off the 10th delivery of the day.

Moments before the first ball was bowled, West Indies' fielding players knelt in the outfield while their England counterparts did the same around the boundary edge in support a movement that has grown since the killing of George Floyd in the United States in May. A Black Lives Matter logo also was on the collar of the test shirts worn by players from both teams.

There was a minute's silence in honor of those who died in the coronavirus pandemic and also West Indies great Everton Weekes, who died last week.

Play started after a three-hour delay because of light rain and a wet outfield, and only lasted for three overs before the teams had to go back inside because of another shower. By then, Sibley had seen his off stump knocked back following a poorly judged leave of a ball that angled in.

After that, the players went off for rain three times, and there was no play possible after 4:28 p.m. local time.

"It's been a bit tough, coming off and on," said Gabriel, who had figures of 1-19 off five overs. "We just have to keep switched on when we come back on. It's been a tough day but we've been doing well so far."

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND 1st Innings

R Burns not out 20

D Sibley b Gabriel 0

J Denley not out 14

Extras (nb1) 1

TOTAL (wkt 1, 17.4 overs) 35

Fall of wicket: 1-0 (Sibley).

To bat: Z Crawley, O Pope, *B Stokes, +J Buttler, J Anderson, J Archer, D Bess, M Wood.

Bowling: Roach 6-4-2-0, Gabriel 5-1-19-1, Joseph 3.4-1-11-0, Holder 3-1-3-0.

WEST INDIES - Jason Holder (captain), John Campbell, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel.

UMPIRES: Richard Kettleborough, Richard Illingworth; TV - Michael Gough