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Cricketers Play On at Sydney Cricket Ground Despite Hazardous Bushfire Haze

An interstate cricket match between New South Wales and Queensland was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on December 10 despite the city being shrouded in hazardous bushfire smoke.

Smoke is affecting communities on the New South Wales east coast, including Sydney, due to westerly winds pushing smoke from bushfires burning on the city’s outskirts. The smoke is predicted to linger until temperatures fall and the winds shift later in the day.

The air quality index for some parts of the city was above 1,000 in the morning – five times the ‘hazardous’ threshold of 200.

The Sheffield Shield match was into its fourth day, with NSW bowling out Queensland for 176 by 1:30 pm and setting themselves an easy 42 runs to win.

Bushfires have burned nearly 2.7 million hectares in the state of New South Wales this fire season. Credit: Andrew Menczel via Storyful