2nd England vs New Zealand Test to see 18,000 fans return to the stadium in pilot initiative
The second England vs New Zealand Test at Edgbaston will act as the first pilot event in the second phase of the UK government’s Events Research Programme. The Test will see 18,000 fans be part of the live viewing experience on each day of the England vs New Zealand Test.
England and New Zealand will take on each other in the second and final Test of the series at Edgbaston from June 10-14. The match will be preceded by the series opener at Lord’s, scheduled to begin on June 2.
The pilot event will analyze testing protocols for all fans in attendance for the game. Edgbaston Chief Executive Stuart Cain was ecstatic after the process was approved on Wednesday.
“Whilst public health is the priority, the first stage pilots have shown how people can safely start to enjoy the things they love; live sport and music. It will be great to welcome cricket fans to Edgbaston and give the England team a huge boost as nothing beats the atmosphere that crowds create here,” Cain said.
The primary objective of the programme is to gather evidence on the risk of COVID-19 transmission at mass participation events.
Studies on the effectiveness of social distancing measures and face coverings while moving around the stadium during the England vs New Zealand Test are part of the agenda as well.
The 18,000 strong capacity means England and New Zealand will play at Edgbaston at 70% of its capacity. Under the current regulations, smaller outdoor venues are only permitted to be at 25% capacity
Fans watching England vs New Zealand Test to undergo testing
There will be a rigorous testing procedure for fans who have bought tickets for the England vs New Zealand Tests. Each ticket holder needs to produce a negative COVID-19 result from an NHS Rapid Lateral Flow Test completed 24 hours in advance of the day they are attending.
Tom Harrison, Chief Executive of the England Cricket Board, was ecstatic at the possibility of normalcy returning to cricket stadiums in the coming months.
“Having crowds back into cricket grounds is so important for the game and for our fans too. The last 15 months have shown just how big a role cricket plays in many people’s lives, and we cannot wait to welcome a growing number of fans back to our stadia over the coming months,” Harrison claimed.
Fans must also provide consent to be part of the Events Research Programme, with government protocol requiring all spectators to be above 16 years of age.