A grand old crumbling institution, racked with death, but held aloft by duty, service and succession. Yes, this certainly was a big day for Test cricket. And also for the royal family, as the Oval crowd offered its own soft, sombre hello-goodbye to the monarchical succession.
It always felt like the right thing to do. People don’t want to be told to stay in their homes and mourn dutifully. Here the adverts were dimmed, the staging sparse – no greater love hath any governing body than removing its Cinch banners – and the anthems brilliantly sung by Laura Wright, most notably God Save the King, which is going to take a while. The best part was the silence.
