A man dressed as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson entertained fans at day two of the third and final Test between England and New Zealand by running through the stands while being pursued by two men dressed as police.
It was a clear reference to the recent Partygate scandal, which saw Mr Johnson become the first sitting Prime Minister to be found to have broken the law. The Metropolitan Police investigated 12 different law-breaking parties held in Downing Street and Whitehall during the height of the pandemic.
Mr Johnson is said to have attended six of them and was hit with a fine over his birthday party, which was reportedly held at his residence in June 2020. Despite facing a vote of no-confidence earlier this month following the scandal, the Prime Minister managed to survive.
However, those in attendance at the cricket clearly found it amusing when a group of fans decided to mock the Prime Minister. The Western Terrace at Headingley is well-known for supporters turning up in fancy dress and one fan turned up to the match dressed as Mr Johnson.
The supporter wore a bright blonde wig, a blue tie, a Conservative Party rosette and a white shirt with 'Please vote Boris 4 No. 10' written on the back.
Meanwhile, two of his friends dressed up in police uniforms and chased him through the stands, with several other fans laughing at their antics.
On the field, England have already won the Test series against New Zealand, having beaten them by five wickets in the first two Tests at Lord's and Trent Bridge. It has been a truly extraordinary series as England enter a new era under the new coach and captain combination of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.
Speaking before the third Test began, McCullum outlined his desire to play "an attractive brand of Test cricket", telling SENZ radio : "I think Test cricket needs it. I think, the game's been around for 100 years and it's been amazing, but society's different now.
"Society … it wants things [to be] more instant, it wants things quicker and Test cricket maybe isn't as significant in some countries as it once was. So, for us, it's a matter of trying to ensure that Test cricket's still sexy and people want to watch it."
