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The start of Sunday’s One Day International between South Africa and England was delayed as players underwent a new round of testing after hotel workers tested positive for COVID-19.
FILE PHOTO: Cricket – First One Day International – South Africa v England – Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, South Africa – December 4, 2020 General view of the scoreboard saying the match has been postponed REUTERS / Mike Hutchings
CAPE TOWN: Sunday’s One Day International between South Africa and England in Paarl was abandoned after two hotel workers in the teams’ biosecure environment tested positive for the coronavirus, the match’s host broadcaster SuperSport reported.
The start of the game was initially delayed while officials awaited the results of a new round of testing from the England camp, before a decision was made to cancel the game entirely, SuperSport reported.
The remainder of the series is scheduled for games at Newlands on Monday and Wednesday.
It is the fourth COVID-19-related incident on the tour of six white ball games, two of which occurred in the South African camp before the games began. It is the second that involves a biosecure environment.
The tour is providing much-needed revenue for Cricket South Africa, which has already had to interrupt a tour of India and trips to Sri Lanka and the West Indies were missed due to the coronavirus.
South Africa and England completed a three-game Twenty20 international series this week that was won 3-0 by the visitors, with three more ODIs due to play.
The first was due to start on Friday, but was postponed after an anonymous South African player tested positive in the biosecure environment, the same hotel that the two teams share, although they remain separate.
That meant a new round of tests that were carried out on Friday night, and South Africa received a certificate of good health.
(Reporting by Nick Said; Additional writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
