Why Australia traded the baggy green for red caps ahead of the Test at Lord’s in a move very dear to skipper Pat Cummins
- Australia wear red caps in Ashes second Test at Lord’s
- A nod to Ruth Strauss, deceased wife of the English Andrew Strauss
- Ruth Strauss died in 2018 at the age of 46 from a rare form of lung cancer
- Comes after Pat Cummins’ mother, Mary, died in March
When Australia take on England in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s this week, they will not be wearing their traditional wide green caps.
Instead, they’re wearing a red hat because they’re helping a cause close to the heart of Skipper Pat Cummins.
It’s a collective nod to Ruth Strauss – the wife of former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss – who died in 2018 aged just 46 from a rare form of lung cancer.
She was a non-smoker and the Ruth Strauss Foundation was created to honor her memory and support families grieving after losing a parent to the disease.
Cummins’ mother, Maria, died in March, not long after she was placed in palliative care after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
The Australian team is pictured wearing red caps instead of the traditional baggy green at Lord’s on Monday
The change is part of a nod to Ruth Strauss – the wife of former England captain Andrew Strauss (pictured) – who died in 2018 aged just 46 from a rare form of lung cancer
The England XI will also wear the red cap at Lord’s as part of the #RedforRuth campaign
She was first diagnosed in 2005 before the disease returned in early 2022.
Now entering its fifth year, the #RedforRuth campaign is raising awareness and essential funding for the foundation’s mission.
Both sides will wear red caps in the field or at the crease – just as they did in the 2019 Ashes series – as it was Ruth’s favorite color.
Strauss can’t wait to see the scenes at Lord’s – the home of cricket – from both teams and the public.
“With the incredible support from the cricket community and beyond, we have been able to develop a support service for families facing the terrible ordeal of losing a loved one,” said the former lead-off batsman.
“We are extremely proud and grateful for what we have been able to achieve so far, but we still have a long way to go.
“The ambition is to help as many people as possible, and days like #RedforRuth at Lord’s are essential for us to continue.”
Pat Cummins’ mother, Maria (pictured left, with her son and daughters) lost her battle with breast cancer in March
Cummins left Australia tour of India in March to be with his mother as she spent her final moments in palliative care
The initiative seeks to replicate the incredible performance of the McGrath Foundation’s Jane McGrath Day, where thousands of spectators wear pink on day three of the annual New Year’s Eve test at the SCG.
Since its founding in 2009, Jane McGrath Day has raised millions of dollars to support breast nurses across the country.
Jane McGrath – wife of Australian cricket great Glenn McGrath and mother of two – was 42 when she died in 2008.
After winning a thrilling first test at Edbgaston, Australia are slightly favored to win at Lord’s to take a 2-0 lead.