JOHANNESBURG - Cricket South Africa postponed the next round of the Four-day Domestic Series owing to the massive spike in Covid-19 cases around the country, which directly affected the competition’s last round.
The three matches which were scheduled to start on Sunday, running through to next Wednesday, will all be played at a later date in the season. “In the interest of Cricket South Africa’s duty of care to its franchise players, support staff and stadium personnel and in accordance with Government health and safety regulations, CSA has opted to postpone the final round of domestic fixtures of 2020,” said Cricket SA’s Director of Cricket, Graeme Smith.
“Players will be granted an extended break until the start of the Momentum One-Day Cup, which gets underway on 8 January 2021.”
The previous round saw two matches impacted by the coronavirus, with the game at SuperSport Park - which will host the first Test between Sri Lanka and South Africa starting on Boxing Day - between the Titans and Dolphins abruptly ended after day one, when one of the Dolphins players tested positive for Covid-19. That particular match involved six players who were selected in the Proteas Test squad.
The match between the Lions and Knights in Bloemfontein, did finish despite one of the Lions players testing positive. In that game, Rassie van der Dussen, Wiaan Mulder, Beuran Hendricks and Migael Pretorius all played.
Those 10 players are all expected to go into the Proteas’ ‘bio bubble,’ at the Irene Country Club on Friday, along with the 22-strong Sri Lanka squad which also arrives in the country on Friday.
The players will all undergo a round of tests as they try to begin preparations for those two Tests - the second of which will be played at the Wanderers, which was due to host one of the domestic matches next week..
“CSA is committed to mitigating the impact of Covid-19 on the 2020/21 season, with the upcoming two-match Test Series between South Africa and Sri Lanka being played in a bio-secure environment, which is a more controlled space than the domestic competition,” Smith added.
South Africa has already suffered a blow to its schedule this summer because of the pandemic with the England team leaving the country before the scheduled One-Day International series against the Proteas, after expressing concerns with the bio-secure environment that had been set up in Cape Town.
That measures used for that ‘bubble’ were significantly more laxed owing to CSA agreeing to let the England team play golf at different courses in the Cape Peninsula.
#4DaySeries Round 5 wrap 🏏
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) December 17, 2020
VKB Knights canter to victory over the Imperial Lions in Bloemfontein
The Warriors produce the goods against the Six Gun Grill Cape Cobras
Momentum Multiply Titans and Hollywoodbets Dolphins match abandoned#ThatsOurGame pic.twitter.com/YquUwEFNbw
The environment for the Sri Lanka series will be much more stringent, with Sri Lanka having given its support. However a critical 24 hours awaits the Proteas, as they assess just how much of an impact the coronavirus will have on the players who came into contact with the individuals they played alongside or against in the last round of four-day matches.
The round of matches that were due to be played next week were; the Cobras against the Knights at Newlands, the Dolphins against the Warriors in Port Elizabeth and the Titans against the Lions at the Wanderers. Those matches will be rescheduled and played early next year.
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