Good evening. An emergency nationalisation of Thames Water is being considered by ministers as the company scrambles to secure £1bn from shareholders. We also have the latest from Lord’s, as England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow dragged a Just Stop Oil protester off the pitch on the first morning of the second Ashes Test.

The Government must make sure that Thames Water “survives,” Kemi Badenoch has said, as ministers consider whether to nationalise the utility company. 

The Business Secretary said she is “very concerned” about the future of Thames Water, which is grappling with a £14bn debt pile. 

Ministers are in talks about the possibility of temporarily bringing the utility company back into public hands under a so-called special administration regime (SAR). 

Matt Oliver has a piece on how sewage, leaks and shortages left debt-laden Thames Water on the brink.

England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow dragged a Just Stop Oil protester off the Lord’s pitch on the first morning of the second Ashes Test. You can find updates from today’s action, as well as expert analysis from Lord’s here. 

Before the first ball of the second over of the match, two protesters sprinted from the Grandstand towards the middle, spraying orange powder paint - watch a video of the incident here. 

Oliver Brown writes that Bairstow’s brave action saved MCC’s blushes.