WATCH: England players ride bicycles to reach The Oval amid traffic chaos
England skipper Harry Brook won the toss and elected to bowl first.
The England cricketers arrived at the match venue in an unusual way ahead of the third One-Day International (ODI) against West Indies at The Oval on June 3. They were seen riding bicycles after getting stuck in heavy traffic.
The Three Lions squad faced commuting trouble north of the river while heading to the ground. Several players, including Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Luke Wood, and Saqib Mahmood chose to abandon their bus and cycle their way to the stadium. The England Cricket team's official handle shared a clip on social media capturing the players' unexpected travel to the ground.
The Men in Maroon were also caught in the traffic jam and their delayed arrival pushed the scheduled start of the match.
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184ENG-WI 3rd ODI delayed due to late arrival of WI
Despite the late start, the toss eventually took place with England winning and choosing to bowl first. The hosts went unchanged while sticking with their previous playing XI. However, West Indies made three changes, bringing in Shamar Joseph, Sherfane Rutherford, and Evin Lewis.
“We were on the bus for a while, then we all decided to get off and get on some lime bikes. Let's try and be as dominant as possible, try and win 3-0 and we're going to give it our best crack,” said Brook at the toss.
His West Indian counterpart also shed light on the events.
“Probably should have walked. We executed a lot better (in the previous match). Executing the plans and ensuring we have a better game. Evin is back, Sherfance is also back, Shamar Joseph also comes in. Hope they make an impact," said Hope.
Playing XI
England
Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook(c), Jos Buttler(w), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Matthew Potts, Saqib Mahmood
West Indies
Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope(w/c), Sherfane Rutherford, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
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