St John’s – All five Twenty20 Internationals and the second Test on England’s two Tours of the Caribbean next year will be staged in Barbados, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced on Monday.
The five T20Is will be played on January 22, 23, 26, 29 and 30 at the Kensington Oval, where they will also play the second Test in a three-match series from March 16 to 20.
The other two Tests in the series will also take place from March 8 to 12 at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua and from March 24 to 28 at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada.
CWI said the England Tour of the Caribbean formed a focal point for one of the busiest years of international matches for West Indies.
“We are delighted to be able to confirm the venues for this extended West Indies vs England T20I and Test Series,” CWI chief executive officer Johnny Grave said.
“The history and rivalry between the two teams creates great anticipation for fans here in the Caribbean and around the world. These fixtures are part of a bumper year of international home cricket running from January to August in the Caribbean.”
Grave added: “A West Indies vs England home Test Series is the biggest sporting and sports tourism event in the Caribbean. Dating back to 1930 when the first England team visited, these fixtures are steeped in history and a new chapter in this great rivalry will be written, this time with the prize of the new Richards-Botham Trophy.
“Celebrating these two heroes of cricket and lifelong friends with the new trophy, staging world-class cricket and hosting thousands of England fans will be a welcome boost for cricket and for the whole region.”
Grave said CWI was looking forward to welcoming fully vaccinated England fans to enjoy “winter sun and Caribbean hospitality, but also some world class cricket with both these England Tours”.
(CWI/AR)
