England's Cumbrian cricket captain Ben Stokes said it was an "honour" to take to the field in memory of Queen Elizabeth II.

Stokes led the England Test side onto the pitch on a poignant morning at The Oval today.

The Cockermouth star had previously spoken of his wish to "play in her memory".

And he got his wish as it was agreed that the Test against South Africa would go ahead in London.

Stokes, speaking before the game, said: "We are honoured to be able to walk out on the field today in memory of the Queen.

"We know how much the Queen loved sport, and the show must go on."

Stokes led the England players onto the field in silence as the crowd at the Oval also fell quiet.

Wearing black armbands, they walked through a military guard of honour before the crowd was told, over the public address system, of the Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh's long history of supporting cricket.

Mention was made of Elizabeth II's "immense contribution" to the nation, Commonwealth and around the world.

After an impeccably-observed minute's silence, the national anthem of South Africa was played.

That was followed by an emotional rendition of God Save The King - on the morning King Charles III was being formally sworn in as the new monarch.

Stokes, speaking on BBC's Test Match Special before play, added: "It’s obviously been a sad couple of days not only for us but the whole nation and the world as well.

"It’s great to be stood here knowing that we’re going to be playing this game, not just for us but in memory of the Queen, so it’s a very special occasion for us."