(Reuters) – The final of the Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s main domestic one-day competition, has been postponed from Sunday because of the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on players from the Central Districts team, New Zealand Cricket said on Thursday.
The devastating cyclone hit New Zealand last weekend before making its way down the east coast of the North Island, killing at least five people and displacing 9,000.
“We have multiple players without power and water, who have only the barest of communication capability,” Central Districts chief executive Lance Hamilton said in a news release.
“It simply wouldn’t be fair to take them away from their families at this time.”
Central Districts were scheduled to take on the winner of Saturday’s playoff between Canterbury and Otago in the final in the South Island resort town of Queenstown on Sunday.
“Lives have been lost, homes and businesses have been destroyed, large swathes of the region are under water, and a number of people are still missing,” said New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White.
“We had no hesitation in agreeing to (Central Districts)’s request.”
No new date has yet been fixed for the final.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
