Thursday night’s Big Bash game between the Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers has been cancelled due to COVID drama, according to News Corp’s Ben Horne and Sam Landsberger.
It’s understood a staff member at the Stars tested positive.
While players are yet to receive their results, there were no guarantees PCR tests would be back before the start of play at 7.15 pm local time, leading to the game being postponed.
It is the first game of BBL|11 to be called off due to COVID complications. Other leagues have not been so lucky, with the A-League in Australia hit particularly hard by COVID cases, forcing the postponement of games.
Even the English cricket side were caught up after a member of their touring party tested positive, however they were able to take rapid tests and arrive only slightly late on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test.
Case numbers are spiking across the country, Australia recording over 20,000 positive tests on Wednesday.