Bangladesh Emerging Team vs Ireland Wolves back on track

The first one-dayer was abandoned after an Irish player tested positive for Covid-19 but now everyone from both sides have returned negative tests

The second one-day match between Bangladesh Emerging Team and Ireland Wolves will go ahead as scheduled on Sunday, after players from both teams tested negative for Covid-19. Ruhan Pretorius, whose positive test resulted in the abandonment of the first one-dayer on Friday, was among those who returned a negative test.

BCB officials waited till 10pm on the eve of the second game to determine whether both sides can play. Both sets of players were tested orally and nasally as soon as the first match was called off after 30 overs, with the results arriving on Saturday evening.

During the Friday match, Pretorius bowled four overs before he was withdrawn from the field at the first drinks break. Shortly afterwards, the teams were informed of his positive result, which prompted the Ireland Wolves to choose abandonment instead of taking a Covid-19 substitute. The match, which was being aired on the BCB’s official YouTube channel, stopped abruptly at the end of the 30th over of the first innings – the Bangladeshis were 122 for 4 at that stage – with the umpires seemingly informing the batsmen of the development even as the Ireland fielders walked off the field.

The BCB’s chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said at the time that there was no option but to call off the match because of the timing of the test report reaching the relevant people.

But getting the series back on track will be a boost to the BCB who have so far taken confidence from their smooth handling of bio-secure bubbles during two domestic competitions and West Indies’ tour of Bangladesh from January 10 to February 15.

Ireland Wolves have already played their only four-day game of the tour, and this was the first of the five-match one-day series against Bangladesh Emerging Team, with the next matches slotted for March 7, 9, 12 and 14. The two sides are also scheduled to play two T20s on March 17 and 18.