ENG vs SA: England-South Africa Final Test Could Have Cost Million Pounds To England Cricket Board, If Cancelled: Report

If the third and final Test against South Africa had been cancelled due to the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may have been faced with a potential multi-million-pound loss. 

According to a Daily Mail article, the ECB’s insurance does not cover the death of a monarch, and the nation’s cricket governing body anticipated significant losses if the decisive Test at The Oval was postponed. 

Only The First Day Of England vs South Africa Washout Is Covered By The Insurers: Report

“The ECB’s insurance does not cover cancellation caused by the death of a monarch, and so multi-million pound losses would have followed had the governing body chosen that course of action for England’s third Test match against South Africa at the Kia Oval,” said the report. 

Rain forced the cancellation of the first day of the performance, but the Queen’s death forced the cancellation of the second day of the production on Friday. After the game started on Saturday, England dismissed South Africa for 118 and subsequently amassed 154/7, giving them a 36-run advantage after Day 3. 

The ECB was considering a potential windfall from the series-deciding third Test between England and South Africa after Surrey made 7.9 million pounds in ticket sales for the postponed fifth Test between England and India. 

“Had the match been called off, it would have meant “majority of the money to be paid back to the spectators, as only the first-day washout is covered by the insurers”, said the report. 

The Proteas won the first Test at Lord’s by an innings and 12 runs, but England, led by Ben Stokes, battled back to win the second Test at Old Trafford by an innings and 85 runs. 

Given the busy Future Tours Programme (FTP) and the burgeoning domestic TO leagues throughout the world, Test matches cannot be postponed as easily like Premier League football matches, which can be changed at short notice. Cricket must also coordinate with the broadcasters’ schedules, which is a significant problem. 

Fortunately for the ECB, the third Test was played as scheduled, with the sides pausing for a moment of quiet to remember the late king. 

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