West Indies v England Test Series – Who Will Win?
Starting on March 8th, 2022, the West Indies will be hosting England for a three-match test series. Cricket betting fans will be able to tune in when the first of these test matches plays out at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound in Antigua. This series will be a part of the 2022-23 ICC World Test Championship.
The whole build-up started on 1st March, when England faced the West Indies Cricket Board President XI in a four-day practice game, which took place at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua.
FIGHTING BACK
England was on the ropes – and will be looking to fight back after their previous performance against Australia. England is coming fresh out of their last test assignment – the Ashes, which was devastating for the team. They were hammered 4-0 by their Aussie rivals and this will be a big test for them, to see whether Joe Root can lead his team to victory and turn those tables.
However, whilst Joe Root will continue to lead his crew, there will be a few notable exclusions, namely James Anderson and Stuart Broad. It will certainly be interesting to see how well the team can cope without two highly experienced players.
On the other side, we have the West Indies, which will be led by Kraigg Brathwaite. He will be leading a team that will definitely be eager to prove themselves against one of the best Test nations out there. Aside from Brathwaite, other squad members worth looking out for will be Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner and Shamarh Brooks.
MATCH INFORMATION
This is going to be a highly anticipated fixture played between the West Indies Cricket Board President XI and England. The series is scheduled to commence on 8th March 2022 – and before the series begins, the crowd restrictions in the West Indies have been lifted.
The first and the third test matches will take place in Antigua and Grenada – with both venues able to take 100% capacity now. As such, it will attract huge crowds and the atmosphere will be perfect for both teams.
THE HISTORY OF THE WEST INDIES V ENGLAND RIVALRY
When trying to work out who will win, it always helps to look at the stats – and these two international teams have been facing each other since 1928. Throughout these years, both of the teams have demonstrated their strengths and weaknesses, with the West Indies dominating in Twenty20 and Test internationals and England getting the upper hand in the One Day Internationals.
THE OVERALL HEAD TO HEAD STATS
To date, since 1928, these two teams have played each other 286 times – in all three cricket formats. Out of these matches, it is the West Indies who have been the most successful, but only just – winning 116 times, with England bagging themselves 113 wins. Indeed, this is one of the most balanced rivalries out there, although West Indies do have a slight edge, given their performance in red-ball cricket.
The two teams have played Test matches 160 times – and the West Indies have won 58 times compared to England’s 51 wins – so they have a seven test match lead. The West Indies also boast a better record in terms of T20 internationals. Out of the 24 played, the West Indies have won 14 compared to England’s 10 wins. However, the One Day International stats tell a slightly different story. They have played 102 matches in this format – and England has won 52 compared to the West Indies’ 44 wins.
Looking at these stats, it’s close, but the West Indies do edge it, given that historically they perform better in Test Matches. However, what does the recent form say?
TEST MATCH STATS
These two teams first met for test match cricket on 23rd June 1928 at Lord’s stadium, London, England. This first game was won by England by an innings and 58 runs. It wasn’t until 1930 that the West Indies managed their first test match win when they played at home in Georgetown. The Caribbean team dominated their rivals from the 1970s through to the early 1990s – but the new millennium has heralded change. If we actually delve a little bit deeper, we can see that since 2000, they have played each other 11 times in Test Match format – with England winning seven times compared to the West Indies’ four wins – with the win in 2020 going to England.
This puts a whole new spin in the stats – and cricket betting fans looking at these facts would certainly look towards England being the favourites now.
ENGLAND FOR THE WIN?
This is an even rivalry, but England are currently performing better – and will be looking to make up for the disaster against Australia.
Although historical facts favour West Indies, the most recent stats disagree. Joe Root has experience – and he is leading a strong and experienced squad against a younger team. So, hopes are high for an England win.