In front of a set of stumps at the end of one of the pitches at Bishops Hull Cricket Club in Taunton, they had placed a photograph of Barnaby Webber that quickly became the centrepiece of immense floral grief.
Barnaby was a fine, enthusiastic young player. Less than two weeks ago, he hit an unbeaten 56 at Lympsham & Belvedere Cricket Club as Bishop Hull’s Sunday first eleven chased down a target of 145 without losing a wicket. In that same game, he took 3-9 with the ball.
Grace O’Malley Kumar represented England at under-16 and under-18 levels and was described as a “huge talent” by Southgate Hockey Club. Grace had also played cricket, with distinction, for Woodford Wells Cricket Club and Essex County Cricket Club women’s sides.
Barnaby and Grace were murdered on a Nottingham street in the early hours of Monday morning.
At a vigil the following day, many team-mates from their various clubs - Barnaby had just been selected for the University of Nottingham first eleven - paid tearful tribute in their sporting kit.
As the fathers of Grace and Barnaby somehow found the courage to speak, it was a truly heartbreaking scene. In the coverage of this awful tragedy, the two 19-year-olds’ infectious love of sport was a thread.
And before the first ball is bowled in today’s first Ashes Test, England’s and Australia’s cricketers will remember the three victims of the Nottingham stabbings.
The third victim of the terrible, murderous passage of time was Ian Coates, a 65-year-old school caretaker who was a lifelong Nottingham Forest fan and England supporter. Pictures of Forest and England jerseys were posted online in tribute to Ian.
Today feels like a significant day in sport, it feels like the official beginning of a glorious summer of competition, even though football - in the shape of international games such as Malta versus England - stubbornly refuses to leave the stage clear.
Wimbledon looms large on the horizon, likewise The Open golf at Royal Liverpool, the British Grand Prix and, of course, the Ashes series.
That all this is crammed into a month and a half - with the third Test and the Silverstone race slap-bang in the middle of Wimbledon and the fourth Test taking place at the same time as The Open - is regrettable.
But it will still be a stretch that should show sport at its life-affirming best.
The build-up to the opening day of the Ashes at Edgbaston has been full of intrigue and characterised by contrasting predictions of what might unfold between now and the final day’s play on July 31 at The Oval.
It has also been characterised by good humour, by good spirit, by respect.
Led by two compelling captains in Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins, England and Australia will play hard but they will enjoy it. And we won’t be talking about money, about billionaire investors, about the involvement of states with dubious human rights records.
We will be talking about great sport and a great sporting rivalry.
These two sides are promising to play with smiles on their faces and that, as much as the moments before the start of play, will be a fitting tribute to Ian, whose love for Forest was clearly infectious, and to two teenagers, Barnaby and Grace, who found such joy, such fun, such friendship in sport.
And that is what sport should be all about.
