Melbourne, December 27, 2012 : .The England cricket team was anxious ahead of Day 2, the third Ashes Test, at the MCG.
Two of the support staff members and their families tested positive for COVID-19.This caused a delay of half an hour to Monday’s start.The Joe Root-led England quickly reacted to this scare and reduced Australia to 181/6 by midway through the second Boxing Day Test.Jimmy Anderson grabbed two additional wickets, Marchus Harris (76), and Steve Smith (16) to increase the David Warner wicket he had taken in Day 1.
Ollie Robinson, the other bowler who was successful, took wickets from Nathan Lyon (10) and Travis Head (27) as tourists tirelessly worked on Monday to limit Australia’s total to below 200.
Earlier in the day, England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed that the team was cleared to leave for the field.Play got delayed by half an hour due to the COVID fear.
The ECB released a statement an hour before the start of play confirming that players were still waiting for a negative outcome in a case proximal the team.
The release stated that the England team and its management were currently staying at the hotel while they waited for the results of the RFT COVID test.This was done after a positive team member’s blood group test.
Cricket Australia (CA), tweeted that they had received information that COVID-positive patients had occurred in England’s support staff members and their families.
Cricket Australia was informed by the England Cricket Team support staff that two cricketers and their families had returned positive results for COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Testing.
CA tweets that the affected persons are now being tested.
All members of the playing group, as well as all support staff, have taken Rapid Antigen Testing this morning.They all came back negative.Today’s PCR test will be performed on the England team.Both teams will continue to take precautions during play.The playing teams remain the same.
There is no immediate impact on the fans, or any other areas of the venue.Cricket Australia and Cricket Canada will monitor the situation closely and adhere to the Victorian Government’s COVID-Safe Event Plan,” CA said.
Sen.com.au reports that Channel Seven (Ashes broadcaster) has been affected, with the commentary team being overhauled for the second-day and several callers being ruled out of the conversation as close contacts.
“The Seven Network has confirmed that it will respond after an employee working at the Ashes broadcast from the MCG was positive for COVID-19 Sunday night,” Lewis Martin, Seven’s head of sport said.
“The employee was unresponsive at the time of the testing, and was in self-isolation from the time the positive results were returned.”
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