Lord's will turn red during Ashes Test to raise funds for the Ruth Strauss Foundation

In her memory: Strauss lost his wife, Ruth, in December 2018 to a rare form of lung cancer
PA

The second day of next month’s Ashes Test at Lord’s will be dedicated to the Ruth Strauss Foundation, the charity set up in memory of the wife of former England captain Andrew Strauss.

The ground will be turned red for the day, with players from both sides wearing special commemorative shirts featuring the foundation logo, as well as red caps and red numbers on the back of their shirts. Fans will be encouraged to wear red, be given red four and six cards to hold up, and be asked for donations

Ruth Strauss died in December 2018 after suffering from a rare form of lung cancer. The foundation was set up in March, and players from both the England and Middlesex squads took part in its inaugural fundraiser, a charity fun run during the Vitality Westminster Mile earlier this year.

Now, almost exactly a decade since Strauss hit a brilliant century in the second Test of the 2009 Ashes Series at Lord’s, the foundation will have its first dedicated matchday.

Strauss has taken inspiration from the Pink Test, held every year in Sydney in partnership with the McGrath Foundation, a charity set up by former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath, whose wife also died of cancer.

“[The idea for the Test] started in my mind with launching the foundation,” Strauss said. “The one huge opportunity I have as an ex-cricketer is to use that platform to raise awareness for what we’re trying to do.

“You think about the incredible work that the McGrath Foundation has done in Sydney. Is it possible to replicate that in some way in this country?

“Given that I played all my cricket here at Lord’s, and it’s an Ashes year, it just felt like, if the MCC are willing and able to make this happen and the ECB are willing to support it then we should try and put this together.”

Strauss stepped down from his role as England’s director of cricket in October 2018, in order to spend more time with his wife and two children.

Prior to that, he had been integral in the transformation of England’s approach to one-day cricket, and revealed that Sunday’s World Cup final success had been particularly poignant as it marked his son Luca’s 11th birthday, and first since Ruth’s passing.

Strauss has taken inspiration from the Pink Test held every year in Sydney in memory of Glenn McGrath's wife
AFP/Getty Images

“Time’s passed by so quickly, it’s been incredibly busy for both me and the boys,” Strauss said. “There’s been a lot of distraction which is great, but there are tough points where it really hits you.

“It was my son’s birthday on Sunday – an incredible day for him to come to the World Cup final and watch what unfolded – but the night before and the morning it really hits you that there are three of us there and not four.

“My contribution to this happened when Ruth was still here, still with me. Unfortunately, like all the times I was playing cricket for England, it required a lot of sacrifice from her part. I definitely hope she was looking down and seeing the value in all of that.

“Of course, you think the gods were shining on us and all that sort of stuff. That’s where it becomes all emotional.”

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