West Indies vs England – 1st Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is West Indies vs England taking place? Tuesday, March 8th, 2022 – 14:00 (UK)
Where is West Indies vs England taking place? Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound
What is the expected weather for West Indies vs England? 25-28c dry with sunny intervals over the course of all five days, although a possible light rain showers at the start of Day 2.
What channel is West Indies vs England on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport
Where can I stream West Indies vs England? The match can be streamed live via the BT Sport App
LAST MEETING
England beat West Indies by 269 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
WEST INDIES
- West Indies’ last venture into the Test match arena was an extremely disappointing one as they were beaten comprehensively by Sri Lanka in the subcontinent and here, they host a Test match for the first time since last August against Pakistan.
- A number of players who have been regulars for West Indies in the Test match area over the past couple of years will not feature such as Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Rahkeem Cornwall.
- Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel misses out due to a hamstring injury and this could lead to the uncapped Anderson Phillip making his debut.
ENGLAND
- Around two months on since that nightmare Ashes series down under, England are back in Test match action in another location where they have been afforded scarce joy down the years, winning just one Test series in the West Indies across the last 54 years.
- Having sacked head coach Chris Silverwood, the ECB have appointed Andrew Strauss as the man to undergo a full review into their Test match team and a squad has been picked which does not include bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, a decision that shocked English fans and underlined that a changing of the guard may well be underway.
- Batters Haseeb Hameed, Rory Burns and Dawid Malan have also been axed with Durham star Alex Lees set to make his Test debut at the top of the order, whilst Lancashire fast bowler Saqib Mahmood could also play due to an injury that will rule Ollie Robinson out of this first Test.
THE PREDICTION
An air of mystery surrounds this new look and somewhat experimental England side under a captain who should consider himself very lucky to still be in charge following their humiliating tour down under and Chris Silverwood’s subsequent sacking. However, West Indies themselves have struggled recently in red ball cricket, particularly with the bat and despite home advantage being in their favour, this will not prove a walkover for them. Despite that, it’s impossible to overlook how poor England’s record is in this part of the world and with a number of unproven players with both bat and ball set to feature, the smart move would be to back a West Indies victory in this first Test.
