Top match called off in virus scare

Gerard Siggins

A soccer player wears a mask as a preventive measure against swine flu during a tournament held to mark India's Independence Day this weekend. Authorities ordered the closure of all schools and cinemas in Mumbai last week as the number of swine-flu fatalities in the country rose to 15

North County cricket club: closed for three days

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A top cricket match was halted last Sunday because of fears players had been infected with swine flu. The Leinster Senior League game between Clontarf and North County, the two strongest teams in the province, was abandoned on Health Service Executive (HSE) advice after a North County player was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus.

The player, a South African native, had been ill for several days but had trained with the team on the previous Thursday. He cried off on the morning of the game and informed club officials.

The player was diagnosed with swine flu some hours after the game started at 1pm and his club chairman, Tom Armstrong, phoned the Castle Avenue ground to inform the host club. He told them HSE advice was that all the players he had come into contact with were now potential carriers.

The game was in its second innings when the Clontarf scorer, Stella Downes, went out onto the field to talk to the umpires and team captains. She explained the series of phone calls to them and that HSE advice was to abandon the game. Most of the players are aged between 18 and 30, the high-risk group for swine flu.

There was some reluctance to comply on the part of the players but when it was pointed out that some players had contact with vulnerable persons and newborn infants the game was abandoned.

There were also concerns the disease could spread rapidly due to an unhygienic practice prevalent in the game. Players frequently spit on the ball to keep it polished and it is feared this could speed transmission.

"While there have been accusations that this was a total over-reaction, we were concerned about spectators who have serious illnesses and small children," Downes told the Sunday Tribune. "It's only a cricket match and we thought it best to be safe."

North County secretary Muriel Andrews insisted that "under the circumstances we couldn't take a chance. We had to think of those people present who had low immune systems."

The HSE also advised North County to close its ground, which is near Balbriggan, which the club did for three days. A junior match last Sunday was also abandoned.

Two other players were treated with Tamiflu as they were in the high-risk categories as an asthmatic and diabetic.

The first infected player is "still not 100%", said Andrews, "and he's out this weekend too."

The game was evenly poised after Clontarf made 247, with North County 55-2 when play was abandoned. The game is unlikely to be restarted but resumed from the point it was aborted.

Other sportsmen stricken by swine flu include footballers Landon Donovan of LA Galaxy and Micah Richards of Manchester City, and Australian cricketer Ian Harvey.