Sydney will KEEP the New Year Test match after Cricket Australia declares the city safe despite coronavirus outbreak closing all borders
- The Sydney Cricket Grounds will go ahead to host NYE test match against India
- Cricket Australia has declared Sydney as safe despite Northern Beaches cluster
- Crowds at will be capped at 50 percent capacity to be in line with restrictions
The Sydney Cricket Ground will host the third cricket Test against India after Cricket Australia deemed it safe to play in Sydney.
Cricket Australia’s board met late on Tuesday night to weigh up whether to keep the match in Sydney or play it at the MCG.
Crucial to the decision was not only the current COVID-19 cluster on Sydney’s northern beaches, but also the closed Queensland border ahead of the fourth Test in Brisbane.
Premier Berejiklian said she was hopeful next week’s Test match against India would go ahead at the Sydney Cricket Ground with a 50 per cent crowd. Pictured: Crowds in Melbourne
However, CA officials on Tuesday night deemed it possible to complete the summer with the match in Sydney going ahead as planned from January 7.
As part of the decision, crowds are expected to be capped at 50 per cent in line with recent restrictions at A-League matches.
As late as Tuesday morning, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had expressed fears that Queensland’s border restrictions would force the match to be played in Melbourne.
But ultimately, that proved not the case.
Had the game been moved, it would have marked the first time since 1964-65 an Australian Test summer did not involve at least one of the matches at the SCG.
Crowds at will be capped at 50 percent capacity to be in line with restrictions. Pictured: SCG
The decision could ultimately provide some advantage to Australia, given they have been beaten just once at the venue since 2003.
In contrast, India levelled the series at 1-1 at the MCG on Tuesday after defeating the hosts by eight wickets in the Boxing Day Test.
Premier Berejiklian said she was hopeful next week’s Test match against India would go ahead at the Sydney Cricket Ground with a 50 per cent crowd.
Another three cases have been linked to the Northern Beaches cluster, taking the cluster to 129 patients.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged Greater Sydney residents to get tested after 16,000 people got swabbed on Tuesday, down from 70,000 on Thursday.
She said ‘Greater Sydney must be on high alert’ until the source of the three new mystery cases is found.
New South Wales has now recorded a total of 4,692 COVID-19 cases.
Cricket Australia has declared Sydney as safe despite Northern Beaches cluster, allowing the NYE test match to be held at the SCG (pictured)