MM News

JOHANNESBURG: The opening game of the three-match ODI series between South Africa and England today (Friday) was postponed after a Proteas player tested positive for COVID-19.

The game at Newlands was due to begin at 11am but was called off just an hour before play. It will now take place on Sunday. Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed that one member of their squad returned a positive Covid-19 test following their latest round of testing on Thursday.

In a joint statement with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), CSA added, “In the interests of the safety and well-being of both teams, match officials and all involved in the match, the acting CEO of CSA, Kugandrie Govender, as well as the CEO of the ECB, Tom Harrison, have agreed to postpone the first fixture to Sunday.”

News of the postponement first began to circulate when the England team was sent back to their hotel in close proximity to the Cape Town ground. It quickly became apparent that their absence meant that the match had been thrown into doubt.

Sunday’s opening ODI will take place at Paarl’s Boland Park instead of Cape Town’s Newlands Stadium, which will now host the second and third contests next week.

This is the first England match to be postponed because of a positive case since the outbreak of the pandemic. Two unnamed South Africa players tested positive before the T20 series last month, forcing the cancellation of an intra-squad practice game.

All matches on the tour are being played without fans, with restrictions similar to those at England’s home fixtures in the summer and the teams staying in a bio-secure environment at a nearby hotel.