England vs West Indies: Cricket has come to a halt twice in its 143 years history

Come July 8, Ageas Bowl in Southampton is set to be the centre stage as it hosts the revival of cricket after a wait of 117 days following the coronavirus outbreak.

The global sport came to a standstill since the 13th of March, 2020 when Australia beat New Zealand by 71 runs in an ODI in a spectator-less SCG. A total of 52 international matches would have been cancelled by the time cricket sees a resumption this week.

The pandemic has affected 213 countries and territories around the world and infected more than 10 million people so far.

With global multi-sports events like Olympics postponed and Wimbledon cancelled, cricket hasn’t been an exception and the pandemic has ensured there has been no cricket from, well, as it turns out, Friday the 13th of March!

Only twice before in the history of the sport has international cricket been forced to come to a halt globally.

There was no international cricket for 2,481 days or 6 years, 9 months and 14 days during the First World War and the Spanish Flu, which coincided with the end of the war in 1918-19. The last Test before cricket was stopped due to the First World War was played from the 27th of February to the 3rd of March, 1914 between South Africa and England at Port Elizabeth.

The second time international cricket came to a halt was between the 22nd of August, 1939 till the 29th of March, 1946. English greats Wally Hammond and Len Hutton registered hundreds at the Oval in the last Test played before the Second World War.

Test cricket resumed after 2,411 days (6 years, 7 months and 7 days) when New Zealand hosted Australia for a one-off Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from the 29th of March, 1946.