What continued lockdown would mean for Black Caps & White Ferns

New Zealand Cricket hopes to control its own destiny, despite another potential Covid-19 outbreak in the community.

The governing body has confirmed matches can still go ahead at alert level two, without fans.

But should Auckland - for example - remain at level three when games are scheduled in the city, they'll need cancelling. Domestic cricket, which resumes on Friday, falls under similar criteria.

Both the Australian men and English women have arrived for tours, but are based in the South Island.

Neither of the two sides are to travel to the North Island until March.

Yesterday the Blues cancelled a pre-season game against the Crusaders set to take place at Eden Park on Saturday, while the Prada Cup final series between Luna Rossa and Ineos Team UK remains on hold with tomorrow's race day postponed.

The first international is between the Black Caps and Australia in Christchurch on Monday. The White Ferns and England face off the following day.

New Zealand Cricket had already indicated last month the opening match at Hagley Park, the first limited overs international under lights at the ground, was a sell out while there was limited tickets remaining for the second Twenty in Dunedin.

The Black Caps home summer schedule has been unscathed by Covid restrictions with West Indies and Pakistan spending time in isolation before beginning their respective series.

The ODI series between the Black Caps and Australia last March was cancelled as the pandemic was beginning to get out of control around the globe.

The first match was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground behind closed doors before the result was axed along with the series.

Australia's test squad was meant to be playing a series in South Africa at the same time as their Twenty20 team was in New Zealand but that tour was cancelled due to the rise of Covid-19 cases in South Africa.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission