England and West Indies teams to clash at Ageas Bowl Southampton
Southampton: When the players of England and West Indies walk out on to the Ageas Bowl pitch on Wednesday (July 8) it will be a landmark moment for international cricket after a 117-day hiatus. It will also be a milestone in the career of England’s talisman Ben Stokes as he captains the side for the first time.
The circumstances will be surreal with the COVID-19 pandemic meaning no fans will be present in the bio-secure environment – the only sounds being the thump of leather on willow, the chit-chat between the players and some piped-in crowd effects.
Once the strangeness of the ‘new-normal’ sinks in, however, an intriguing series looks on the cards between the sides ranked fourth and eighth on the ICC’s Test list. With England captain Joe Root missing for the birth of his second child, Stokes will get to pit himself against West Indies counterpart Jason Holder.
Holder, embarking on his 33rd Test as captain, is first on the ICC’s all-rounder rankings while Stokes is second. Both have similar problems to solve, namely fragile batting line-ups that could be at the mercy of top-class bowling attacks.
