Karen Rolton Oval (Adelaide): In a bizarre incident, the Queensland cricket team's trip to Adelaide for the Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania got off to an inauspicious start with thieves breaking into their team van and stealing equipment ahead of their clash at the Karen Rolton Oval on Thursday.
The team van was parked outside the hotel when thieves smashed the window and stole the cricket gear. Jimmy Peirson, the Queensland wicketkeeper-batsman, posted a photo on his Instagram of the van's smashed window, saying he was among the "unlucky ones" as he lost two brand new bats.
Queensland have reportedly lodged a complaint with South Australia police "who are investigating the matter using the hotel's CCTV footage", according to cricinfo.com
"Someone's got to be the unlucky one. If anyone sees a couple of brand new Gray Nic sticks floating around Adelaide can you let me know?" Peirson wrote on his Instagram page.
Defending champions Queensland begin their title quest on Thursday against Tasmania after having been forced to leave Queensland following a COVID-19 outbreak in Brisbane. The game, which was initially scheduled to be played on September 28 at the Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane, had to be postponed following COVID-19 cases being reported in the city. Tasmania had flown back home immediately after cases were reported in Brisbane.
Cricket Australia (CA) then rescheduled the fixture and it will now be played in Adelaide.