No smoke, but alarm stops play

USUALLY it is poor light or rain which brings the action to a halt at the University Oval.

But yesterday evening a fire alarm interrupted day three of the test between New Zealand and South Africa in Dunedin for about 20 minutes.

A fire communications spokesman said steam set the alarm off shortly after 5pm and everyone was asked to evacuate the oval.

The players and management headed for the centre of the playing surface while the crowd, which peaked at just under 3300, trudged from the venue.

It even interrupted the flow of news, as the commentary team and journalists were forced to duck out the back gate.

Some spectators were concerned they were being asked to vacate the oval through gates near the grandstand, and had it been on fire, it would have put them in danger.

However, Dunedin Venues Management Limited marketing and communications manager Kim Barnes said it was known when the alarm was triggered that there was no fire.

‘‘Obviously, everyone’s safety is paramount. So, as per health and safety procedures and the emergency plan, people were evacuated out of the oval to muster points.’’

She said there were other exit points away from the grandstand, and had there actually been a fire, they would have been used.

She said the evacuation was successful, but it would be the subject of a debriefing.

Play resumed at 5.30pm but poor light eventually intervened and the match will start 10 minutes earlier today, to make up some lost overs.

The players were not overly concerned by the turn of events.

‘‘I think the biggest shame was the crowd left. There was quite a good atmosphere [yesterday],’’ Black Caps wicketkeeper BJ Watling said, adding he remembered having an early drinks break ‘‘to watch the Jamaicans run in the 100m final in the Olympics’’.

‘‘That was something different as well.’’