The WBBL in a state of flux following news that Hobart will go into a snap three-day lockdown from 6pm on Friday, leaving with four matches scheduled in Hobart over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Marsh Cup clash between Western Australia and Tasmania in Perth has gone ahead following an hour delay with Tasmania players undergoing Covid-19 tests after four players had flown directly from Hobart in recent days to join the rest of the squad that had travelled from South Australia.
Seven of the eight WBBL teams are currently in Tasmania after the tournament got underway on Thursday in Hobart. Perth Scorchers announced on Friday that they will delay their travel to Tasmania by 24 hours with their first match scheduled for Sunday in Hobart. The only reason the Scorchers had delayed their travel was due to the scarcity of training facilities in Hobart given seven other teams were already there.
The first 20 matches of the WBBL are scheduled to be played in Tasmania and the tournament is then scheduled to shift to Adelaide, Perth and Mackay in Queensland. But there is no word yet on any potential schedule changes following the news of the snap lockdown with the WBBL releasing a statement on Friday afternoon.
"We are currently working with the Tasmanian Government on options for the upcoming Weber WBBL|07 matches at Blundstone Arena, Hobart this weekend," the statement said.
"All players, staff and match officials in Tasmania for the Weber WBBL have received COVID-19 vaccinations and received the required negative COVID-19 test results. All are currently participating in training at Blundstone Arena or at team hotels.
"The League will provide further updates in due course."
Hobart will be plunged into a lockdown following a Covid-19 case emerging in the Covid-free state after a traveller from New South Wales breached quarantine and spent days in the community before testing positive. Tasmania Premier Peter Gutwein announced that if the WBBL continued they would have to do so without crowds.
"Bearing in mind there are national and international matters to consider here in terms of the broadcast, if they do go ahead they would go ahead with no crowd and with the players remaining in a bubble," Gutwein said.
The border between Tasmania and Western Australia is open due to both states being Covid-free. Both states, however, have strict zero-Covid policies and the case emerging in Hobart meant the entire Tasmania travelling party had to be tested in Perth. Most of the Tasmania squad had come from Adelaide but four players had come from Hobart having not been part of Tasmania's Shield team that played in Adelaide against Queensland last weekend. All players and staff have returned negative tests and none had been to any of the listed exposure sites in Hobart.
As a result, the game went ahead as planned but the toss was delayed by one hour with WA winning the toss and electing to bat first.
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