SA ODI abandoned again after Covid strikes

The first Betway ODI between South Africa and England at Eurolux Boland Park in Paarl on Sunday has been abandoned without a ball being bowled. This is due to two staff members at the Vineyard hotel, where England are staying, having tested positive for Covid.

The match was initially delayed as the England team and management awaited further results but at 9.33am CAT (SA, GMT+2) the decision was made to abandon the match.

The first ODI, which was to take place at Newlands on Friday, was postponed due to one of the Proteas players returning a positive Covid-19 test. However, with all of the South African squad proving negative on Friday evening, the first ODI, now the second, was shifted to Monday at Newlands with the third and final match taking place under the watchful eye of Table Mountain on Wednesday.

Cricket South Africa and the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a joint statement that two members of England's touring party returned unconfirmed positive tests for Covid-19, although further tests were required.

The statement did not specify whether the individuals affected were players or support staff.

"Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have agreed to cancel today’s Betway one-day international series opening match, which was due to take place in Paarl," the governing bodies said.

A decision on the remaining two matches in the series will be taken after the test results are ratified independently by medical experts, the statement added.

CONSTANT DIALOGUE

Ashley Giles, the managing director of England Men's Cricket, said: "We regret that we are unable to play in today’s ODI, but the welfare of the players and support staff is our primary concern and while we await the results of further tests the medical advice from both teams was that this game should not take place.

"We remain in constant dialogue with Cricket South Africa and will continue to work closely with them to determine how best to move forward."

CSA said the England players and management underwent an additional round of tests on Saturday evening after two members of staff at their hotel tested positive for the virus.

Former England captain Mike Atherton, now a commentator and journalist, said he feared the entire series could be under threat.

Atherton said the new positive cases had "ramped up" the concern that the England camp already felt after the opening match was postponed.

"Certainly this match is off and I would be pessimistic about the other games," said Atherton.

'NEITHER LEFT SECURE AREA'

Graeme Smith, CSA's director of cricket, said he was "deeply regretful" that the match could not go ahead "given the amount of time and energy that has been put in place to host a successful tour".

Dr Manjra said he was surprised by the positive test which caused Friday’s postponement because he had confidence in the bio-secure environment.

All the South African players and staff were re-tested on Friday evening and having analysed the results, CSA had given the go-ahead for the games to go ahead.

The general manager of the hotel confirmed that two staff members had tested positive.

"At this stage it is not clear how the staff members became infected as neither have left the bio-secure area since 16 November and they do not work on the same team or in the same area," the manager, Roy Davies, said.

The Proteas did not enjoy the T20 series, going down 3-0 to the visitors despite some positive signs from the home team. Quinton de Kock’s men held the upper-hand in the first two games before England turn things around and clinched the matches. The third game was a massacre with Dawid Malan and Jos Buttler putting together an unbeaten 167-run stand for the second wicket as England won by nine wickets chasing 192.

The home side will be without the services of Faf du Plessis and their main strike bowler in Kagiso Rabada, with Anrich Nortje and Beuran Hendricks likely to shoulder the burden of the new ball.

South Africa have a slight edge over England in the ODI arena, having won 30 to England’s 28 games but the visitors are not the reigning World Champions for nothing and another possible whitewash will be on the cards for the hosts as they try to shake off the dust from the off-field distractions.

England’s last visit to the shores of their former colony, resulted in a stalemate, with a victory in Cape Town for the hosts and a victory for England in Johannesburg either side of a no result in Durban. However, England have only won a single ODI series on South African soil in six attempts, having clinched a five-match series in 2009, winning 3-1 with one match abandoned.