MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 10 ‘Sci-fi’ England-Windies opener a new frontier for Test cricket AFP | London nally scheduled for elsewhere in England in June. t will be Test cricket but England have already settled not as we’ve known it when in at the Ageas Bowl, where they IEngland face the West In- played a three-day intra-squad dies in the opening match of a match this week as the West “bio-secure” series at South- Indies continued their prepara- ampton starting on Wednesday. tions at Old Trafford. With the coronavirus pan- demic having brought the world ‘Back at school’ game to a halt in March, there Mark Wood, the England fast were fears this three-Test cam- bowler, said the environment, paign might also fall victim to “feels a bit like a sci-fi movie”, COVID-19. with players subjected to repeat- But, with the West Indies ed health checks. agreeing to go ahead despite “There is hand sanitiser at Britain’s virus death toll of over every turn, and on the floor there 44,000 being the highest in Eu- are arrows, lines and footprints rope, the series is set to mark to show the way to go,” Wood cricket’s return from lockdown told the BBC. instead. He added meal times were However, a number of anti-vi- “like being back at school”, rus measures mean next week’s with players at individual desks match will look like few others “looking at the back of the per- in 143 years of Test-match his- son in front”. tory. But perhaps the most visible For a start, both sides will change will be the lack of any be staying at on-site hotels at spectators. England cricket players during a training session (file photo) Southampton’s Ageas Bowl and For while sparse crowds are Old Trafford in Manchester -- not unknown in Test cricket -- Emirates -- this series will be a That does help officials to although overhead conditions the venue for the second and particularly when Pakistan play completely behind closed doors honour lucrative broadcast con- could still mean there’s swing third Tests -- in a series origi- ‘home’ games in the United Arab affair. tracts and so eliminate a ‘night- for the faster bowlers. mare scenario’ of no cricket at Even if there’s not The series will also take place all this season that, according a single person in against the backdrop of recent to its own estimates, could cost worldwide Black Lives Matter the England and Wales Cricket the crowd it’s still protests, with both teams set to Board £252 million ($309 mil- what we all dreamt have a BLM logo on their shirts. lion). of doing. When But amid all the changes, Meanwhile, Cricket West In- that Test match which includes provision for vi- dies president Ricky Skerritt starts up, crowd or rus substitutes if required, there insisted a $3 million loan from no crowd, you are will be a return to cricket’s past. the ECB was a “helping hand” at going to be really Travel restrictions mean there a time of economic crisis rath- are set to be two on-field home er than a condition of touring up for it umpires in a Test for the first England. OLLIE POPE time since 2002 when the Inter- Quite how the lack of atmos- national Cricket Council made phere, as well as being cooped neutral match officials manda- up on the ground at night, will tory in the five-day game. affect the players is uncertain, Yet concerns about the altera- with West Indies captain Jason taining the standards associated tions are outweighed by a sense Holder admitting he would miss with cricket’s pinnacle format. of relief that the series is still England’s loudest fans. “Even if there’s not a single going ahead. “I enjoy playing in front of the person in the crowd it’s still England captain Joe Root Barmy Army, to not hear them what we all dreamt of doing,” -- before it was confirmed he sing, to not hear them chant will he said. would miss the first Test to at- take some getting used to,” he “When that Test match starts tend the birth of his second child said. up, crowd or no crowd, you are -- summed up the mood by say- England batsman Ollie Pope, going to be really up for it.” ing: “I think the whole cricket- however, was adamant the teams Players will be barred from ing world will be grateful to see England fast bowler Mark Wood during a match (file photo) would have no trouble in main- using saliva to shine the ball, some cricket again.” Mane gets Liverpool back on track against wasteful Aston Villa AFPt | London Wijnaldum dropped out, but all Indeed, it was Alisson Becker three were needed in the second who was the busier goalkeeper adio Mane and Curtis Jones half after a disappointing first as the Brazilian was forced to Sstruck in the final 20 min- hour. parry shots from Douglas Luiz, utes to ensure Liverpool marked In front of an empty Anfield, Jack Grealish and Anwar El their first match at Anfield since Liverpool struggled to summon Ghazi. being crowned Premier League their best with the big prize Klopp was forced into intro- champions with a 2-0 win over already won and just re-writ- ducing Henderson, Wijnaldum struggling Aston Villa . ing the record books to play and Firmino to try and summon After a 4-0 humbling at the for. a response from his side in the hands of Manchester City in Villa, by contrast, are still des- final half hour. midweek, Jurgen Klopp’s men perate for points in their bat- The triple substitution quickly again failed to hit the heights tle to beat the drop and Dean made a difference when Naby that made them runaway lead- Smith’s men were left to rue Keita picked out Mane to sweep ers before a three-month hi - not taking their chances on the home his 20th goal of the season. atus due to the coronavirus counter-attack early in the sec- Reina was finally forced into pandemic. ond half as their winless streak a fine save as he dived to his left But Mane’s sweet strike off the stretched to 10 games. to deny Firmino his first goal at underside of the bar and Jones’s Pepe Reina was recalled in the Anfield this season. deflected effort kept up a run Villa goal on his return to An- Another substitute made the of 24 consecutive league wins field where he spent nine years game safe a minute from time as at Anfield for the Reds and left Sadio Mane of Liverpool crosses the ball under pressure from Ezri Konsa of Aston Villa as a Liverpool player. 19-year-old Jones saw his effort Villa still languishing in the bot- However, the Spaniard barely deflect past the helpless Reina tom three. Christmas presents” in the final English top-flight history. ing night at the Etihad on Thurs- had a save of note to make before before Alisson produced another Klopp has insisted he will month of the campaign as Liver- The German made just three day as Roberto Firmino, Jor- half-time as Liverpool struggled stunning save at the other end not dish out appearances “like pool eye a record points tally in alterations from an embarrass- dan Henderson and Georginio to break Villa down. to deny Grealish a consolation..