MOUNT MOUNGANUI – England are preparing for an aborted run in this week’s first Test against New Zealand at Oval Bay due to a cyclone that has already begun to hit the country’s North Island.
Strong winds and heavy rain greeted England’s arrival at Mount Maunganui from Hamilton on Sunday, with the promise of wetter weather over the next two days before conditions improve on Wednesday.
Cyclone Gabriel is expected to be the strongest storm to hit the country this century, according to Weather Watch New Zealand. The forecast for Mount Maunganui warns of strong winds approaching 100 mph and rain that could cause “life-threatening flooding and power outages.”
While the Bay of Plenty, which hosts Mount Maunganui, is expected to avoid the worst effects of Cyclone Gabriel, major disruptions are likely to occur ahead of the first test set starting on Thursday in England and New Zealand.
One problem is that there are no permanent indoor facilities at the Bay Oval, which currently has a huge canopy to facilitate wet weather training. However, with such strong wind forecasts, training in a tent could raise safety concerns.
I It was also said that the drainage in Oval Bay is not as good as most of England’s international courses, and while dry weather is expected on Wednesday, conditions ahead of the test may not yet be as good as 300 millimeters of rain outdoors. workout fit is likely to fall within 72 hours.
New Zealand cricket is also hopeful that strong winds will not cause undue damage to Oval Bay.
The last time England was in sight of a cyclone before the last test against India in Chennai in 2016, Joe Root had to deal with a road accident as ground facilities were damaged by a tropical storm.
This time, Ollie Robinson is insisting that England, who have only had a two-day warm-up in Hamilton and six days of training since arriving in New Zealand, will be ready even if they are denied further training ahead of the Pink Ball match on the mountain. Maunganui.
“I was watching the cyclone,” he said. “I changed my family’s flight here because they were supposed to arrive on Monday morning, which seems to be the peak of the storm.
“We’ll have to wait. They have a tent on the mountain, which is a great facility. So if we get there at some point, it will help us. But we understand that it can be difficult. We knew what it would be for a few days and we thought maybe three days before the game that we would not practice, if we don’t practice until Thursday, I feel like we are already well prepared and still ready.”
In the meantime, Robinson dismissed the day-night tests as a “gimmick” that was not necessary when England were in town, as the team’s exciting baseball style was enough to attract fans anyway.
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England manager Brandon McCallum couldn’t start this New Zealand tour with a win as Defibrillate, the horse he owns, finished fourth on Saturday at the Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa. McCallum canceled his team’s second warm-up in Hamilton ahead of this week’s kickoff tests to see his horse in person in a Group 1 race. But after leading most of the time, the gelding hit a thrilling finish.
evacuation of the nation
The roads emerging from the Bay of Plenty area looked like a scene from Sunday’s disaster movie as the cars backed up to clear the area before Cyclone Gabriel struck. The storm also meant that a planned BBQ for English players at McCallum’s home in Mata Mata – halfway between Hamilton and Maunganui – was also a little wet, though I understand the event took place anyway.
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Ollie Pope revealed that McCallum called up part of the team as his driver in his first summer last year to get to know his new players better.
Speaking to New Zealand’s The Podium podcast, Pope said: “He did it. [get lifts to training with me], in the front row. I think he was trying to get around some of us young players, he knew that some of us needed clarity in the team and he needed management support. a personal connection that you really feel as a player.”
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English players closely followed Australia’s first Test against India in Nagpur last week, which ended in humiliation for tourists as Pat Cummins’ side scored an innings in just over two days. With the Ashes approaching this summer, the English side kept a close eye on developments in India at his team’s hotel in Hamilton, with Ollie Robinson admitting: “It’s always good to see the Aussies lose. You always try to take something with you, but it’s hard when the field is like that. It is clear that the Indians had the best conditions for striking. And Indian spinners are also very good.
“From the start, there is nothing wrong with traditional Test cricket,” he said. “I don’t think we should play these pink ball games. It’s a few tricks. They are trying to attract spectators and change the game a bit, but the way England play test cricket now, I don’t think that should happen.
“We can stick to what we do and entertain people for who we are, so I’m not sure that’s really necessary.”
Robinson has also spoken of becoming teammate with Steve Smith next summer, while Ashes’ rivals will share a locker room in Sussex when the Australian plays three county matches in May before the series kicks off against England next month. .
“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to play with him,” Robinson said. “Hopefully I can get some knowledge from him and also learn a little more about him. It would be good to follow him closely and see if I can learn more about his shots and ways to get him out.