Why are England cricketers wearing black armbands vs New Zealand? Reason for armband in cricket first Test

England impressed on the first day of their tour of New Zealand on Thursday 16 February and once again treated their fans to a full-on display of Bazball in the country of birth of head coach Brendon McCullum.

England scored an impressive 134/2 in 23 overs during the afternoon session with New Zealand captain Tim Southee putting his side down to bowl first after winning the coin toss. It leaves New Zealand trailing by 288 runs after the first day of action.

Many fans watching the game noticed that both England and New Zealand players were wearing a black armband throughout the contest. In the past black armbands have been worn on various different occasions in cricket and they are often used as marks of respect for an individual within the game.

But why were England and New Zealand players wearing a black armband during their First Test at Bay Oval? Here is everything you need to know.

Why were England players wearing black armbands against New Zealand?

Cricketers from both England and New Zealand were seen wearing black armbands as a mark of respect for the victims of Cyclone Gabrielle. Both sets of players and spectators also observed a one minute period of silence as a gesture of respect.

New Zealand is currently in a national state of emergency with Cyclone Gabrielle battering large areas of the country, with floods trapping people on roofs, thousands displaced and landslides destroying homes.

Officials in New Zealand have described Cyclone Gabrielle as the most significant weather event that the country has seen in this century. The country announced a national state of emergency on Tuesday 14 February, it is only the third time in New Zealand’s history that a national state of emergency has been declared.

New Zealand prime minister Chris Hipkins said: “My heart goes out to those families and those who have been in an extraordinary set of circumstances. We will absolutely be focused on everything we can to support them.”

At least five people have died as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle and evacuations are continuing to take place as fresh storm warnings are announced in regions of New Zealand already devastated by the cyclone. A total of 3,455 people have been registered by the police as ‘uncontactable’, with some likely to be multiple reports for the same person.