England’s opening One-Day international against South Africa has been abandoned for the second time due an outbreak of coronavirus, plunging the entire tour into doubt.
The first ODI between the two sides had to be postponed on Friday morning just one hour before the match was due to start at Newlands after a member of the South Africa team tested positive for Covid-19, with the fixture move to Paarl to take place on Sunday.
Both teams underwent an urgent round of Covid-19 testing following the scare, with both teams returning negative results on Saturday morning to ensure the series could proceed, but news emerged on Sunday morning that the game at Boland Park would see the start elated after two members of staff at the Vineyard Hotel tested positive.
The delay was agreed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) in order for test results taken on Saturday night to be received, but a further decision was taken to abandon the match completely.
A statement released by the ECB before the match was cancelled read: “Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have agreed to delay the start time for today’s one-day international match, which is due to take place in Paarl.
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“The England players and management underwent an additional round of PCR tests on Saturday evening, after two members of the hotel staff tested positive for Covid-19.
“While the ECB awaits ratification of those test results the decision has been taken to delay the start of today’s ODI match. Further information will be provided in due course.”
Roy Davies, general manager of the Vineyard Hotel, issued a statement revealing the members of staff had tested positive on Friday and had since been isolating.
“The Vineyard Hotel can confirm that two staff members tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, 4 December following the positive test of a South African player on Thursday, 3 December,” he said.
“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. Our Covid response team is endeavouring to establish all the facts and contact tracing is underway.
“Our number one priority is the safety and wellbeing of our staff and guests and we have placed all our resources and efforts into investigating and resolving the situation. Both members of staff and a player who also tested positive on Friday are currently isolated in on-site apartments some distance from the hotel which have been kept sterilised and available for this purpose.”
The match cancellation leaves the remaining two ODI matches in doubt given the teams are due to return to Cape Town on Monday for the second encounter, with Newlands also due to stage the third match on Wednesday.
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