On Friday, Australia and New Zealand locked horns with each other for the first ODI of the three-match series at Sydney Cricket Ground. However, the outbreak of a “pandemic” in coronavirus has pretty much called for all cricketing events being played with empty stands and a similar situation was in Sydney as well.
During the match, the Kiwi fast bowler, Lockie Ferguson was seen running into empty stands to fetch the ball at the SCG. While the sight of an international match being played in an empty stadium looks unusual, the Cricket Australia had no option than to conduct the match without the crowd especially after the postponement of Australia Women’s tour of South Africa, the Everest Premier League, and the Road Safety World Series.
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It was Australia captain Aaron Finch who won the toss and opted to bat. A hilarious sight was observed early on in the Australian innings when Ferguson was running into the stands to fetch a ball. In the general run of things, spectators would have normally thrown the ball back into the playing area. Watching the pacer himself in the stands reminded signs of domestic matches which are mostly played in the empty stadium.
Here is the video of the same:
Good arm, Lockie! #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/xY7QtF5UGf
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 13, 2020
As far as the match is concerned, Australia posted a decent total of 258/7 in their allotted quota of 50 overs and they eventually won the match by a huge margin of 71 runs. The visitors were bundled out for a meager total of 187 runs.
The effects of playing behind the closed doors were seen when swashbuckling opener David Warner did not even realize that he’d got to his half-century, and it was only after his teammates started clapping that the southpaw waved his bat to acknowledge the applause.
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Talking about the same, the Australia skipper, Aaron Finch said, “It would be weird to play in an empty stadium, no doubt you get so accustomed to the atmosphere of the fans who ride the momentum really well especially when you’re playing at home and the Australian fans support us so well and if it comes to go that we’ll wait and see.”
How Twitterati reacted:
Life's tough without the fans 😅
(via @cricketcomau) pic.twitter.com/wmRjg1mklY
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 13, 2020
The SCG crowd isn't completely empty… @scg | #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/Bfi37BXlRA
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 13, 2020
A handshake out of habit, and then a quick joke, between the skippers 🤝#AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/QJcsA4Bv0X
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 13, 2020
Unbeknownst to him, David Warner brings up a fine half-century! 😅#AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/tXcqEYCBVv
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 13, 2020
