New Delhi:
Lord's was painted in red on day two of the Ashes Test between England and Australia. Players from both teams wore commemorative red caps and carried red numbers on their backs while spectators wore red attire. The reason - the inaugural Ruth Strauss Foundation Day. The Ruth Strauss Foundation -- with the support of the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Marylebone Cricket Club and Cricket Australia -- paid tribute to Ruth on day two of the second Ashes Test.
The Ruth Strauss Foundation was founded by former England skipper Andrew Strauss in honour of his wife, who died from a rare form of lung cancer in December at the age of 46. The foundation provides emotional, psychological support to patients and their families going through a similar experience which the Strauss family endured after Ruth’s diagnosis in 2017. Game-used apparel and equipment will be auctioned after the Test, with funds going to support research into rare lung cancers.
Kevin Roberts, Cricket Australia CEO, said the Australian men’s Test team were honoured to be taking part in the momentous occasion. “It will be incredible to see Lord’s turned red in honour of Ruth. Ruth hailed from Ballarat and met Andrew while he was playing grade cricket in Sydney. She was well-loved in both countries and I can think of no better occasion to celebrate her life than a day named in her honour during an Ashes Test at Lord’s, which was Andrew’s home ground with England and Middlesex,” Roberts added.
The Red Day follows the pattern of select matches which are using a colour to raise awareness in society. The annual Jane McGrath Day during the Sydney Test, which is also the Pink Test, has helped the McGrath Foundation support 75,000 Australian families since 2005 by employing 135 dedicated breast care nurses. There is a Pink ODI played in Johannesburg in South Africa for raising awareness on breast cancer.
