When international cricket resumed after the dark hiatus of the Second World War, the queues were already snaking early on the morning of the first of the Victory Tests at Lord’s. Gates were closed an hour before the start, stands bursting at the seams. A great, throaty roar greeted England’s openers, Len Hutton, his arm shortened after an accident in the war, and Cyril Washbrook as they made their way to the middle. The ground will only be at a quarter capacity on the first morning of this Test, but there will be something of a similarly uplifting feel, one imagines, as supporters attend international cricket again after a gloomy absence. At the Roses match last week a smaller gathering emptied their lungs to good

Source: The Times June 01, 2021 16:01 UTC