Marsh angered by lax security

Geoff Marsh, Zimbabwe's coach, criticised the security arrangements at Lord's after two protesters managed to walk onto the outfield during the first day's play. Demonstrators opposing the regime of Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean president, had gathered outside the stadium before the start of play, but Marsh was upset that the heavy security cordon was unable to keep the protesters off the playing area.

"It's disappointing they got on the ground. There's security staff all around and they got on," Marsh said. "You shouldn't just be able to walk on like that. I'm sure the management of both sides will be saying something about this."

Marsh's call for more active policing might be seen as rather inappropriate coming from the coach of a country where even peaceful demonstrations are brutally quashed. Neither of yesterday's pitch invasions was remotely threatening - both banner-holding intruders ambled about 20 yards towards the middle before being gently accosted by stewards moving at an equally pedestrian pace. There was clearly a kid-gloves stewarding policy, to ensure that ugly scenes were avoided.

It is, however, the third time in a smany years that the security arrangements at Lord's have been questioned. Last year, the set-up came in for criticism when a spectator from the members' friends' enclosure made his way onto the field as Sachin Tendulkar was walking back to the pavilion after being dismissed. In 2001, Australia's Michael Bevan was hit by a can thrown from the crowd while standing on the pavilion balcony during post-match presentations.