ECB would seek replacements for five officials due to oversee the start of the ODI series between England and Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday after a positive Covid-19 test emerged from a member of the team at Southampton for the third T20I.
Phil Whitticase, who was the match referee for the T20I series, tested positive for the dreaded Covid-19 after a PCR test that was administered on Friday. He was asymptomatic and feeling well, according to the ECB, but will have to undergo an isolation period of 10 days.
ECB Confirms No Members Of The Two Teams England And Sri Lanka Were Impacted And Series Would Go On As Scheduled
Seven of the match officials and anti-corruption personnel who were involved in the 3rd T20I at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton have been deemed close contacts, including five members who were due to officiate at the Emirates Riverside. All of them will also be required to self-isolate for 10 days, until July 7. England is scheduled to play three ODIs against Sri Lanka over the upcoming week, at Chester-le-Street, The Oval, and Bristol.
“No members of the two teams were impacted,” the ECB said in a statement. “Alternative arrangements will be put in place to ensure Tuesday’s ODI goes ahead as planned.”
The three-match ODI series between England and Sri Lanka will be continued with ‘alternative arrangements’ after the ICC match referee for the third T20I between the two teams, Phil Whitticase was tested positive for Covid-19.
In a statement, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) informed that all those who were in close contact with Phil Whitticase will be tested for the dreaded virus. According to the ICC’s website, Chris Broad was due to be the match referee for the first ODI, with Michael Gough and Richard Kettleborough named as umpires.
England Clean Sweeps Sri Lanka 3-0 In T20I Series After Winning 3rd T20I By 89 Runs
In the third T20I, Dawid Malan fired a sensational fifty before David Willey picked three wickets to help England defeat Sri Lanka by 89 runs on Saturday. England clean-swept Sri Lanka 3-0 in the T20I series with Saturday’s thrashing win over the visitors. The hosts scored 180 in their 20 overs and then folded Sri Lanka for 91 in the dead rubber to seal the series.
Sri Lanka kept losing wickets at regular intervals and never really recovered. The visitors were at 53/4 after 10 overs and then collapsed to 64/8 in the 15th over before being bundled out for 91 inside 19 overs.
In the 1st T20I, England managed to reach the target of 130 inside the 18th over with MOM Jos Buttler scoring an unbeaten 68 as England won by 8 wickets despite Dasun Shanaka’s 2nd T20I fifty.
In the 2nd T20I, Liam Livingstone steered England home in a rain-affected low-scoring game. England stuttered early in their response, slipping to 36 for 4 in the seventh over, but they bat so deep that their victory never really seemed at risk. Liam Livingstone and Sam Billings put on 54 off 48 balls for the fifth wicket as England won by 5 wickets by Duckworth Lewis method.