England’s ODI series in South Africa was cancelled on Monday after an outbreak of Covid-19 cases at the luxurious The Vineyard hotel where both teams have been staying.

Both squads have had members infected, along with two hotel staffers inside the bubble.

The decision to call off the series was taken by both the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa, “to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams”.

The opening game of the series was scheduled for Friday but was postponed to Sunday after a South African player tested positive on the morning of the game. That first ODI was then cancelled completely on Sunday after it was revealed that two hotel staff members had been infected with Covid-19, forcing the England contingent to undergo a new round of tests.

Two members of the England group then tested positive, although the ECB said it wanted the tests verified by an independent medical team before making a decision on the remainder of the tour.