WOMEN’S ONE-DAYER HIT BY BOMB SCARE

THE third women’s one-day international between England and New Zealand is set to go ahead in Leicester today despite a security threat made against the match. It is understood that the ECB were in receipt of a threat via email but it was later dismissed, as there was no intelligence to suggest it was credible. ESPNCricinfo reported that a member of New Zealand team management was contacted and told that a bomb would be placed at the team hotel. And a similar warning was made regarding the team’s flight home next week. A New Zealand Cricket statement last night said the threat ‘was treated seriously, investigated and deemed not credible’.

The visitors, trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, have boosted their security as a result after arriving in Leicester yesterday. The police and counter-terrorism authorities were contacted, but the fixture was confirmed as going ahead after the credibility of the threat was dismissed, although there was said to be apprehension lingering in the New Zealand camp. The developments came just three days after the New Zealand men’s team aborted a tour to Pakistan on security grounds, after a specific threat relating to the touring group was reported.