Black Caps await Covid tests
Auckland-based New Zealand cricketers and match officials will be tested for Covid-19 in Wellington ‘‘as soon as possible’’, to ensure the rest of the men’s Twenty20 series against Australia can proceed safely.
New Zealand Cricket announced on Saturday night that due to Auckland moving to alert level 3, and the rest of the country to alert level 2 for the next week, games three and four would be played at Sky Stadium behind closed doors on Wednesday and Friday.
The Black Caps squad disbanded after their four-run victory over Australia in Dunedin on Thursday, which gave them a 2-0 series lead, and were scheduled to reassemble in Wellington yesterday.
Auckland-based players Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman and Jimmy Neesham headed to Tauranga on Saturday, before the alert level change kicked in at 6am yesterday, while Martin Guptill stayed in Hamilton with teammate Ross Taylor and family. All four were booked on a flight from Hamilton to Wellington yesterday, due to Tauranga flights being full.
Kyle Jamieson didn’t return to Auckland and stayed in Christchurch with his partner’s family.
Umpires Wayne Knights and Chris Brown are from Auckland,
as is match referee Jeff Crowe, and all made their way to Wellington before the alert level change.
NZC public affairs manager Richard Boock said all players and officials arriving in Wellington, who’d been in Auckland in recent days, would be tested as soon as could be arranged. They would be required to self-isolate at their hotel until the results were known.
‘‘That will apply to all our players and officials,’’ Boock said.
That could mean some miss Black Caps training, which is scheduled for the Basin Reserve this morning.
There was no suggestion Australia’s cricketers wanted out of the tour, after the Auckland match scheduled for Friday was switched to Wellington where they’ve been based for several days and enjoyed some region’s golf courses.
It is understood the Australians are seeking to switch their flight home, to depart from either Wellington or Christchurch, because returning travellers flying from Auckland to Australia are now required to complete two weeks of managed isolation due to the community outbreak in New Zealand’s largest of the city.
Wednesday’s match will be played under alert level 2 restrictions with only players, officials, broadcasters and essential staff permitted at Sky Stadium.
The White Ferns and England women’s teams will fly in from Dunedin today and also play the double-headers on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, the latter at Tauranga’s Bay Oval.
NZC will take a heavy financial hit, having sold 14,000 tickets for Wednesday’s Wellington game. Forecasts were for a crowd of 20,000-plus, and on track to be the biggest for cricket since 2015.
Eden Park’s Friday night double-header was predicted to draw upwards of 35,000 fans, and Sunday’s finale at Bay Oval a sellout of 10,000.
As it stands, if alert levels outside Auckland drop to level 1 as of next Sunday morning, that match can proceed with a crowd. Tickets already sold will be refunded if no spectators are permitted.
NZC chief executive David White told Stuff: ‘‘It’s very disappointing – there’s no doubt about that.
‘‘The Australian tour has been well supported in Christchurch and Dunedin and we were looking forward to big crowds in Wellington, Auckland and Tauranga.
‘‘Having said that, public health is the top priority and there are a lot of businesses and sports hurting right now. We’re at least able to play cricket.’’