The captain of the Adelaide Strikers says the team is relieved to be training on the New South Wales Mid North Coast after a "mad rush" to escape South Australia's COVID-19 lockdown in the lead up to the summer cricket season.
Travis Head led his team out onto the pitch at the Coffs Harbour International Stadium today for a light training session after touching down from South Australia on Wednesday.
"We are in a very fortunate position to be outside and be able to train," Head said.
"It's something that we wouldn't be able to do in Adelaide."
Head said he had been on the golf course enjoying a week off when he got the call the team would be flown to Coffs Harbour a day before South Australia's tough COVID-19 lockdown was announced.
"It was a mad rush back, get packed and go," he said.
Coffs Coast a good alternative, Head says
But Head said one upside of the last-minute move was that most of the team were familiar with the facilities in Coffs Harbour after the region hosted a Strikers and Sydney Sixers match during the last Big Bash League season in January.
While most players have left partners and families at home in South Australia, batsman Callum Ferguson managed to fly his wife and baby to Coffs Harbour to stay with the team during their pre-season camp.
Head said while it has been tough leaving family and friends, he was grateful Cricket Australia made the call quickly to move the team interstate to continue training.
"[Cricket Australia] got on the front foot and got us out pretty quickly, which is the right decision," he said.
Head said over the coming days the team planned to "blow the cobwebs off" and prepare for the upcoming Big Bash League match against Hobart scheduled for December 13.
