Smoky haze clouds Sydney as NSW hosts Queensland

Australian spinner Steve O’Keefe has revealed just how bad conditions were as smoke blanketed Sydney during a Sheffield Shield clash.

The SCG, like the rest of Sydney, was blanketed in a smoky haze.

NSW have excelled under a thick blanket of smoke at the SCG, crushing Queensland by nine wickets to extend its unbeaten start to the Sheffield Shield season in testing conditions.

The Blues rolled the Bulls for 176 on Tuesday morning then made light work of a target of 42, rattling off the required runs early in day four’s post-lunch session.

Test discard Usman Khawaja was out edging for 54, falling to Trent Copeland after adding one run to his overnight score, as table-topping NSW made it five wins from six games in 2019-20.

However, bushfire smoke meant that air quality and visibility at the iconic venue proved as big a talking point as the on-field action.

Bowlers from both sides sweated it out in conditions more commonly associated with Delhi, where smog regularly smothers India’s fixtures.

Match officials and medical staff monitored readings throughout the day but there was never any indication of play being stopped because of the haze.

On Twitter, cricket blogger Rick Eyre likened the scenes to “the apocalypse”, while Cricinfo writer Dan Brettig urged authorities to call the game off.

Trent Copeland would go alright in Delhi I reckon. Also, more seriously, call this off. Gotta be a major health hazard #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/PXAe3J56jP

— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) December 10, 2019

Thick smoke at the SCG... #sheffieldshield pic.twitter.com/SsKMgmsaIY

— Andrew Menczel 🏏 (@amenners) December 10, 2019

We doubt the SCG has seen many days like this before.

There was no blue sky in sight.

NSW spinner Steve O’Keefe said being out on the field was like “smoking 80 cigarettes a day”.

“The one thing they need to look at is the air-quality policy,” O’Keefe said. “That was shocking. I don’t have kids, but if I did they’d be locked up inside, and if I was at home I wouldn’t be training or playing in it.

“I tip my hat to Queensland because when you’re behind in the game you’ve got a reason to whinge, but they got on with it.

“That air quality was shocking. The doctor was all over it and speaking to us about it, and the fact the game wasn’t going to go all day was considered, but in the future they need to look at it because it’s not healthy — it’s toxic.

“That was far worse than (India). It got to the stage we weren’t going to come off for quality, it was more about visibility. It was getting hard to pick the ball up. I’m sure they’ll address it. It’s a bit left field to have something as severe as this.”

Khawaja consulted the players’ union on Monday and Cricket Australia medico John Orchard, who was at the SCG, on Tuesday morning.

“There were limitations there. If it got really bad ... we probably would have come off,” Khawaja said.

“I’ve never played in anything like that in Australia.

“It was bad but it wasn’t unplayable ... I wasn’t going to use that as an excuse to come off and make a fuss about it, or say it’s unsafe.”

The bushfires ravaging NSW are having widespread effects.

Stephen O'Keefe was at least taking wickets in the difficult conditions.

Sean Abbott was wiping smoke as well as sweat out of his eyes.

The players had likely never played in conditions like this before.

The start of a recent NSW second XI game in Sydney’s west was delayed because of poor air quality but the air-quality index was more concerning in that case.

Four days ago Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon urged local clubs to consider cancelling fixtures on the weekend if the conditions posed a risk to players’ welfare.

“Cricket NSW strongly advises all junior and senior competitions across NSW that are affected by smoke and poor air quality to give serious consideration to cancelling this weekend’s games. Our number one concern is the health of our players and officials involved in cricket,” Mr Germon said.

“We appreciate this may mean some finals are not played and players may be disappointed, however the welfare of our cricket communities is our number one priority.”

However, despite the thick haze, the show went on at the SCG.

Khawaja, who produced his first half-century of the Shield season, was caught behind during Copeland’s third over on Tuesday morning.

O’Keefe, one of a handful of candidates to play this summer’s SCG Test if national selectors pick two spinners, dismissed Mitch Swepson and Jimmy Peirson to finish with figures of 3/28 from 17.5 overs.

Through the Sydney smoke, Steve O'Keefe wrapped up Queensland's tail with a couple of beauties - and he was PUMPED! #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/54asVNZco0

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2019

Thick smoke at the SCG... #sheffieldshield pic.twitter.com/SsKMgmsaIY

— Andrew Menczel 🏏 (@amenners) December 10, 2019

Queensland leg-spinner Swepson, also in the mix to be Test tweaker Nathan Lyon’s spin sidekick against New Zealand at the SCG, picked up the consolatory wicket of Daniel Hughes on Tuesday.

Swepson recorded figures of 1/80 from 33 overs in NSW’s first dig. Moises Henriques was named man of the match for his game-changing knock of 116.