Australia

In both the lone Test at Trent Bridge and the first of three T20s at Edgbaston, England had their moments but it was all-conquering Australia who prevailed in both to establish a 6-0 lead on points.

There is now no more margin for error if England are to win this multi-format series for the first time since 2013/14 – with two T20s and three ODIs still to play against the double world champions.

Heather Knight’s side have not defeated Australia in any format since February 2020 but leg-spinner Glenn is keeping the faith and asserted there is no psychological hurdle for England to clear.

Glenn told the PA news agency: “I feel like we already believe we can beat them. If you look at the T20 the other night, it was so close so I don’t think if we win we’ll go ‘oh wait, we can beat them’.

“We know we can beat them, we’ve got the potential to but we also know they are a top-class side and they’ve been winning for a long time. When you have that momentum, it can be very hard to break.

“The momentum shift can work in crazy ways so we’re still really hopeful. But a win or loss doesn’t define us. It’s about how we play our cricket.

“We were naturally disappointed and coming so close you do have that frustrating ‘what if’ feeling. But it’s still quite a positive camp and we’re just taking it day-by-day and enjoying the journey.”

The message from Knight and head coach Jon Lewis has been to entertain and inspire this summer and was repeated by Glenn, whose two wickets threatened an unlikely England comeback in Birmingham on Saturday.

Australia were cruising on 130 for two in pursuit of 154 but Glenn snared Ashleigh Gardner and the dangerous Grace Harris with her last two deliveries before the match built towards a grandstand finish.

Australia were always in pole position but it was not until the penultimate ball that Georgia Wareham punched spinner Sophie Ecclestone into the covers and scampered a nervy single to get them home.

Glenn added: “The battle is part of the fun. When it doesn’t go your way, it might be a bit less fun but you’ve just got to stick to your guns and not go into your shell.

“Me and Sophie thrive off that, trying to be really positive and take wickets.

“We really put up a fight as well, there were lots of little battles that were so close to going our way. We’re getting that feeling of ‘that was so close’ much more often. The gap is definitely closing.”

The second and third T20s will take place at the Kia Oval and Lord’s respectively and it is hoped there will be a high turnout as there was at Edgbaston – where a lively 19,527 crowd was in attendance.

It came at the end of a bruising week for the sport, with the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket finding racism, sexism, classism and elitism is entrenched in cricket in England and Wales.

But Glenn can sense the changing attitudes towards women’s cricket as she and her England team-mates spoke to the supporters after Saturday’s T20, signing pictures and taking pictures with them.

She added: “It was so nice to see everyone after and a lot of the discussions were just about how inspired they were. It’s amazing to see the support.

“Those little conversations make the world of difference. I remember when I was younger and I was the one with a hat to be signed, and the odd conversation I had with a cricketer really sticks with you.”

Mooney top-scored with 73 as Australia beat their great rivals by 27 runs in the first one-day international in Canberra to secure an 8-4 lead in the multi-format series.

The hosts gave England a target of 206 to chase, which proved too much for the tourists after 18-year-old Darcie Brown took 4-34 as they were bowled out for 178, confirming the Ashes stay in Australia.

Australia have won seven of their last eight women's ODIs against England, including their last five in a row; the last time they won more in succession against them was a 19-game stretch from December 1997 to August 2005

Speaking after the win, Mooney said: "We came into this series with one job to do: retain the Ashes, and we've done that. We've got another job to do now and win them outright."

Two more ODIs remain in the Ashes series, which take place on Saturday and Monday.

England will have been pleased to restrict Australia to just 205-9 from their 50 overs, with Kate Cross (3-33) and Katherine Brunt (3-40) bowling well.

Mooney's knock was accompanied by notable contributions from Alyssa Healy (27), Tahlia McGrath (29) and captain Meg Lanning (28), who became the 11th player to score 4,000 runs in women's ODIs and the third Australian to do so.

However, England's chase got off to a bad start when Tammy Beaumont was caught at slip for just three off the bowling of Brown, who then trapped England skipper Heather Knight lbw first ball.

Amy Jones (16) somehow hit a full toss from McGrath straight to Ellyse Perry, though Nat Sciver managed a solid 45 before being sensationally caught and bowled by Brown.

Brunt (32 not out) showed some resilience along with Cross (17) for a last wicket partnership of 24, but the match and England's hopes of winning the series came to an end when the latter was caught and bowled by Jess Jonassen.

A disappointed Knight praised the performance of Australia's bowlers after the game but was still determined to continue fighting to salvage a draw. 

"We're still in with a chance of drawing the series and that's got to be our focus now," she said. "We didn't get a partnership together... We lost wickets at regular moments and they bowled well. They kept the stumps in the game and that made it hard to score on that wicket."

Australia clinched a 49-run victory by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the final ODI in Bristol.

England had recovered from 2-0 down in the series with Brook, who captained the hosts in Jos Buttler's absence, leading their charge with 110 not out and 87 in the third and fourth ODI respectively.

Brook (72) and Ben Duckett (107) put on a fantastic 132-run stand on Sunday to set a target of 310, though it proved academic as DLS came into play with the tourists on 165-2 with 29 overs remaining when rain stopped play.

However, the stand-in skipper believes the experience will benefit him and his team-mates in the long run.

"It's not just the present now, we're looking long-term," said Brook, who was named the ODI player of the summer.

"We're trying to build towards the bigger series and competitions. It's a new brand of cricket we're trying to play, and I think we've done that perfectly.

"Getting out of the power play, we didn't get the wickets we wanted, but outside of that, we've done really well."

On his own performance, he added: "It's nice to get on the board, score a few runs and contribute to some wins. I haven't played too much, but it's nice to finally get the tempo of ODI cricket.

"Captaincy has been good. It's something I might think about in the future, but I'll sit back and let Jos do it for now."

Only 30 overs were possible on Saturday, where Australia advanced from 113 for four to 214 for five and although they are still 61 runs in arrears, they could be bailed out by the elements.

After persistent overnight showers left a saturated outfield, a planned pitch inspection at the scheduled start time of 11am on the final day never materialised because of a brief band of rain.

Another examination of the playing field took place at 12.15pm and, with an early lunch being taken five minutes later, there was hope of getting on as a start time of 1pm was announced.

However, as England’s players began warming up, the heavens opened once more, forcing them back indoors as the covers were hastily brought back on – seemingly the beginning of another frustrating delay.

England have to make all of the running if there is any play, with Australia content to settle for a draw that would retain a 2-1 lead and the urn to boot, snatching away the possibility of a Kia Oval winner-takes-all decider next week.

The series will be part of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, which asks for a minimum of two Tests between participating teams.

Australia’s previous Test series in the Caribbean took place in 2015, where the Michael Clarke-led side dominated with victories in Dominica and Jamaica. Since then, Australia has toured every Test playing nation except the West Indies.

This upcoming tour will be the first time the teams have played a three-match series in the West Indies since 2012, when Australia secured a 2-0 victory.

The most recent clash between the sides, held in Australia earlier this year, ended in a 1-1 draw. The highlight of the series was West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph’s heroics at the Gabba, where he guided a rare Test win over Australia, breaking a 21-year drought.

After taking a five-wicket haul on debut at the Adelaide Oval, Joseph backed it up with a famous second innings haul of 7-68 in Brisbane to spearhead the tourists to an eight-run win.

While the exact venues are yet to be confirmed, according to ESPNCricinfo reports, Barbados, Grenada, and Jamaica are potential hosts.

The tour will also feature three ODIs and three T20Is. Meanwhile, Australia is eyeing a place in this year’s WTC final at Lord’s and will aim to carry momentum into the next cycle.

For the West Indies, the series is a significant opportunity to play against one of the world’s strongest Test teams on their home turf.

A four-match T20 International (T20I) series, has been agreed, scheduled to start on Wednesday, July 28 at Kensington Oval, Barbados. The first ball is 10am (9am Jamaica Time) for the first match, with the final three to be played at the Guyana National Stadium on Saturday, July 31; Sunday, August 1 and Tuesday, August 3 at 11am (10am Jamaica Time).

The adjustment to the Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup schedule was necessary due to the changes to the fixtures for the ongoing CG Insurance One-Day International (ODI) Series between West Indies and Australia, which are part of the International Cricket Council’s ODI Super League, which concludes on Monday, July 26.

Ricky Skerritt, CWI President said: “Together with the PCB, CWI have examined various scenarios, and we jointly agreed that the best solution in the present circumstances is to cancel the first T20I and play a four-match T20I series starting on Wednesday and keep the rest of the tour schedule unchanged. We want to express our gratitude to the PCB Chairman, Ehsan Mani and CEO, Wasim Khan, and the Pakistan team for their understanding in this situation and for agreeing to the revised match schedule. Both teams are in the final stages of preparing for the ICC T20 World Cup, so we anticipate an exciting and entertaining series of games as both teams compete for Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup.”

West Indies, the two-time World Champions (2012 and 2016), are using this series as part of their build-up to the next ICC T20 World Cup which will be played from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. They enter the series on the back of a 4-1 triumph over Australia in the recent CG Insurance T20Is at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia. Pakistan won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2009.

Following the Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup, West Indies and Pakistan will then play two Betway Test matches at Sabina Park in Jamaica from August 12-16 and then from August 20-24. This is the first Test Series for the West Indies in the new 2021-2023 ICC World Test Championship.

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

July 28: 1st Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup match at Kensington Oval – 10 am local (9 am Jamaica Time)

July 31: 2nd Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup match at Guyana National Stadium – 11 am local (10 am Jamaica)

August 1: 3rd Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup match at Guyana National Stadium – 11 am local (10 am Jamaica)

August 3: 4th Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup match at Guyana National Stadium – 11 am local (10 am Jamaica)

August 12-16: 1st Betway Test at Sabina Park – 10 am Jamaica Time (11 am Eastern Caribbean)

August 20-24: 2nd Betway Test at Sabina Park – 10 am Jamaica Time (11 am Eastern Caribbean)

The first Test will begin on January 16 in Adelaide before the teams move to Brisbane for the second Test to begin on January 24.

The ‘Men in Maroon’ will then turn their attention to three ODIs from February 1-5 and three T20Is from February 9-13.

The West Indies last won a Test against Australia way back in 2003 and their last series win came in 1993.

Full squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Alzarri Joseph (VC), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin greaves, Joshua Da Silva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie

Oliver Davies, the New South Wales and Sydney Thunder batsman, was the star of the day, producing an innings of 115 that featured 14 fours and three sixes from 106 deliveries. Blake MacDonald (76 not out) and Jack Attenborough (51) also joined in on the fun.

Kemar Roach was economical with figures of 0 for 20 from 10 overs but 21-year-old right-armer Jayden Seales (0-47 off 10 overs), Alzarri Joseph (0-40 off 10 overs) and spinner Roston Chase (0-50 off 10 overs) were among the bowlers who struggled for impact.

Former captain Jason Holder, who made 50 with the bat before retiring, did not bowl while Raymon Reifer and captain Kraigg Braithwaite were the wicket-takers

Starting day two at Manuka Oval on 297 for 5, West Indies lifted the run-rate on Friday as Devon Thomas top-scored with an unbeaten 77. Thomas and Joseph put on an unbroken 104-run stand for the 10th wicket.

On Thursday, openers Brathwaite and Shamarh Brooks made half-centuries to put on a 133-run partnership.

This match is one of two tour games West Indies have before their series against the Pat Cummins-led Australians gets underway in Perth on November 30.

Blistering half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell highlighted the West Indies' innings, propelling them to a formidable total of 257 for 4 in their 20 overs. Pooran was particularly destructive, smashing 75 from just 25 balls, including five sixes in a mere six balls against Australian spinners Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa.

Powell continued the onslaught with a quick-fire 52 from 25 balls, ensuring the West Indies maintained an aggressive tempo throughout their innings. Sherfane Rutherford added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 47 from just 18 deliveries.

Australia, struggling with a short-handed team for the second consecutive match, fielded only nine players, supplemented by coaches and selectors acting as substitute fielders. The absence of key players and the late arrival of allrounder Marcus Stoinis, whose kit was delayed in Miami, further hampered their performance.

Despite the challenges, Nathan Ellis showed promise with the ball, claiming 2 for 42 from his four overs. However, the Australian bowlers were otherwise put to the sword, with Zampa conceding 62 runs and Josh Hazlewood 55 in their respective spells.

Sent in to bat, West Indies got off to a quick start with Shai Hope and Johnson Charles laying the foundation. Pooran then took centre-stage, hitting the first three legal deliveries he faced for sixes and maintaining a high strike rate. His half-century came off just 16 balls, demonstrating his aggressive intent. Although Borovec dropped a catch off Pooran, it didn’t prove too costly as Bailey managed to dismiss him shortly after.

Powell continued the momentum with a brutal assault on Zampa and Agar, who conceded 120 runs between them. Tim David, in a rare role as a bowler, managed to be the least expensive with figures of 1 for 40 from four overs.

Chasing 258, Australia’s reply was spirited but ultimately fell short at 222 for 7. Josh Inglis top-scored with a brisk 55 off 30 balls, but the lack of depth in the batting lineup was evident. In a surprising move, Agar opened the batting and contributed 28 off 13 balls, but the rest of the lineup failed to capitalize.

David Warner, who missed the recent Australia-West Indies Test series, was bowled for 15 by Shamar Joseph after a brief flurry of boundaries. Mitchell Marsh, playing in his preferred No.3 position, was dismissed cheaply, and while David and Matthew Wade managed 25 runs each, they couldn't keep pace with the required run rate.

Gudakesh Motie was instrumental in stemming the flow of runs during the middle overs, finishing with figures of 2 for 31, including the key wickets of Inglis and David. Ellis provided some late resistance with a quick 39, sharing a 51-run stand with Zampa, who remained unbeaten on 21.

The West Indies' dominant performance, spearheaded by Pooran and Powell, sets a confident tone ahead of the T20 World Cup.

The T20 World Cup kicks off on Saturday, and the West Indies' emphatic win serves as a strong warning to their rivals as they aim for glory on the global stage.

Australia, batting first, set the tone for an exhilarating encounter with Warner smashing a blistering half-century in his 100th T20I, scoring 70 off 36 deliveries. Tim David's explosive 17-ball 37 further fueled Australia's innings, propelling them to a formidable total of 213 for 7.

Andre Russell took two wickets off consecutive deliveries in the final over of the Australian innings to finish with 3-42. Alzarri Joseph took 2-46.

Chasing 214 for victory, West Indies displayed early promise with openers Brandon King (53) and Johnson Charles (42) forming a dynamic partnership. King, in particular, played a stellar innings, reaching a half-century off 36 deliveries. However, legspinner Adam Zampa's brilliant performance in the middle overs proved crucial for Australia as they successfully defended their total.

Zampa, with figures of 3-26, outfoxed the aggressive West Indies batsmen, preventing them from achieving the challenging target. Despite a late onslaught from Jason Holder, who scored an unbeaten 34, West Indies ultimately fell short, finishing at 202 for 8.

The match served as a platform for auditions and milestones, with Josh Inglis getting an opportunity to partner Warner as the opening batsman. In his 16th T20I, Inglis showcased his 360-degree range, contributing 39 off 25 balls.

While Warner starred in his milestone 100th T20I, reaching the elite company of players with 100 internationals in each format, West Indies' big-hitters, including King and Charles, went for broke in their pursuit of victory.

Australia's left-arm quick, Jason Behrendorff, faced early challenges in the windy conditions but managed to claim a late wicket, finishing with figures of 1 for 38 off 3 overs. The pivotal moment in the match came in the 16th over when Zampa's brilliance dismissed Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran, tilting the scales in Australia's favor.

The tourists ended day three 35 without loss at stumps after 16 overs, with Kraigg Brathwaite on 19 and first innings centurion Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 15 needing a further 274 runs on Saturday.

Earlier, day three started with the West Indians resuming their first innings at 234 for 7. They added just one run from a no ball before their innings ended in the second over of the day.

Paceman Mark Steketee (3-33) trapped Alzarri Joseph lbw and two balls later had Jayden Seales well caught at second slip by Peter Handscomb. With Raymon Reifer unable to bat, West Indies ended on 235 for 9.

The PM's XI then reached 221-4 off 70 overs before captain Josh Inglis’ declaration set the Windies 309 to win.

The innings was declared four balls after Renshaw reached his 17^th first-class ton, scoring 101 not out off 218 balls.

The 26-year-old, who played the most recent of his 11 Tests in 2018, added 145 for the third wicket with Peter Handscomb, after the Windies had reduced the home team to 13 for 2.

Renshaw, who also top-scored with 81 in the first innings, hit nine fours in the unbeaten knock.

Handscomb, who scored 55 in the first innings, was bowled five minutes before the dinner break by spinner Kraigg Brathwaite for 75.

According to a schedule released by Cricket Australia Thursday, the two-time World T20 champions will take on Australia at the Riverway Stadium in Townsville on October 4, at the Cazaly Stadium on October 6 and at the Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast on October 9.

However, whether the series goes ahead or not, depends on Australia’s ability to contain the spread of the Coronavirus COVID19 that has shut down all live sport since March.

“While acknowledging the difficulty in navigating a global pandemic, we are nonetheless encouraged by the progress Australia is making in combatting the coronavirus and the positive impact that is having on our ability to host an exciting summer of cricket in 2020-21,” CA CEO Kevin Roberts said. 

“We know that circumstances or events beyond our control could mean that the final schedule potentially may look different to the one released today, but we’ll be doing everything we can to get as much international cricket in as possible this summer. We will communicate any changes to the schedule if or when they are required.  

  “We are engaged in ongoing discussions with federal and state governments, our venues and the touring nations to continually understand and monitor the situation in front of us, which is evolving every day. We’ll continue to act in accordance with public health advice and government protocols to ensure the safety of the public, players and support staff.”

The West Indies are currently on the verge of agreeing to tour England for a three-Test series in July.

Xavier Bartlett, making his ODI debut, showcased his talent by dismantling the West Indies' top order with a remarkable 4 for 17. This performance marked the second-best figures on ODI debut for Australia, placing him just behind current selector Tony Dodemaide. Bartlett's ability to swing the ball both ways troubled the West Indies batsmen, setting the tone for Australia's dominance.

Matthew Lee, Director of the Jamaica Badminton Academy, drew parallels between Bartlett's impactful debut and the academy's commitment to nurturing talent. "Just like in badminton, where a player's debut can shape their entire journey, Bartlett's remarkable introduction to ODI cricket showcased the impact a debutant can have on the game."

Bartlett, along with fellow debutant Lance Morris, became the first pair of Australian debutants to open the bowling in an ODI since 2016. Bartlett's early breakthroughs, including a magical outswinger that dismissed Justin Greaves, left the West Indies struggling at 59 for 4.

The West Indies, anchored by Keacy Carty's career-best 88 and Roston Chase's gritty 59, managed to post a total of 231. However, Bartlett's spell had already set up the victory for Australia.

Josh Inglis provided a fiery start to Australia's chase with a quick-fire 65 off 43 balls. Inglis's aggressive approach set the tone, smashing ten fours and a six, and his whirlwind knock allowed Cameron Green to settle into the innings. Steven Smith's unbeaten run-a-ball 79 and Green's composed 77 not out guided Australia to victory with 11.3 overs to spare.

Despite the West Indies showing resilience with half-centuries from Carty and Chase, Bartlett's brilliance and Green's all-round show ensured Australia took a 1-0 lead in the series.

The MCG witnessed a dominant performance from Australia, with Bartlett's debut spell earning him well-deserved accolades. As the series progresses, cricket enthusiasts eagerly anticipate more exciting contests between these two cricketing giants. The West Indies, though faced with a setback, will look to bounce back in the upcoming ODIs, showcasing the resilience that makes cricket a thrilling and unpredictable sport.

The visitors were 114 for 4 in their second innings on Saturday at Manuka Oval when play was called off, the hosts declaring earlier in the day on a mammoth 426 for 4.

Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul, made just 4 after not batting in West Indies' first innings effort due to illness.

Jermaine Blackwood, who retired on 42 in the first innings, made just 1.

West Indies were 77 for 4 before Roston Chase (31*) and Joshua Da Silva (12*) ensured no further damage was done.

Earlier Blake MacDonald finished unbeaten on 177 after No. 3 Oliver Davies had smashed 115 off just 106 balls on Friday in a wake-up call for the West Indies attack.

Final scores: West Indies 424 for 9 dec (Thomas 77*, Brathwaite 75, Brooks 56, Holder 50) and 114 for 4 drew with Combined NSW & ACT XI 426 for 4 (MacDonald 177*, Davies 115).

The tourists will play a four-day twilight fixture against a strong Prime Minister's XI from Wednesday before Tests against in Perth and Adelaide.

The Test and T20 International (T20I) series against the Proteas, rescheduled from 2020, will start the International summer. The world-renowned tourism destinations of Saint Lucia and Grenada will be the West Indies host venues. South Africa are due to arrive at St Lucia on June 1 and will play two Test matches at The Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, followed by five T20Is at the Grenada National Cricket Stadium from June 26 to July 3. CWI is grateful to the Governments of St Lucia and Grenada for agreeing, at relatively short notice, to host the touring South Africans. This will be the first time that South Africa has played bilateral cricket in the West Indies since 2010.

The July 9 to 24 Australia white-ball tour of the West Indies will also begin at St Lucia’s Darren Sammy Cricket Ground hosting five T20Is. The Aussies then move on to Barbados for three day/night CG Insurance One Day Internationals (ODIs) at the world-famous Kensington Oval. The CG Insurance ODIs provide the opportunity for West Indies to secure more points in the ICC ODI Super League, as the West Indies strive to qualify automatically for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup following the recent 3-0 victory against Sri Lanka. https://www.icc-cricket.com/cricket-world-cup-super-league/standings

Pakistan is scheduled to arrive in Barbados on July 21 ahead of their five-match T20I Series, with the first two matches to be played at Kensington Oval before travelling to Guyana to play the concluding three T20Is at Guyana’s National Stadium from 26 to 29 June. The West Indies and Pakistan teams will then travel to Jamaica for two back-to-back Test matches at Sabina Park from August 12 to August 24 which conclude four days prior to the start of the Caribbean Premier League in St Kitts.

This schedule features a total of fifteen T20Is for the reigning ICC T20 World Champions, as the West Indies continue the build-up to their title defence at the ICC T20 World Cup, in October and November 2021.

CWI CEO Johnny Grave said: “Following the successful hosting of the all-format series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, we are delighted to announce that we are set to welcome South Africa, Australia and Pakistan to the West Indies. To host three international teams back-to-back in five territories is unprecedented, and putting these fixtures together was an enormous Covid-related logistical challenge. We must thank the visiting teams for agreeing to travel at this challenging period for world cricket and we are especially grateful to our regional Governments who are playing such a vital role in partnering with CWI to ensure that International cricket can be hosted safely while providing entertainment for our loyal fans and income for our cricketers and cricket communities.”
CWI has also been working closely with Territorial Cricket Boards, along with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sport in all the host countries, to orchestrate all the logistics and agree the safety and medical protocols for the tour. All players, support staff and match officials will stay, train and play in a bio-secure environment, with regular COVID-19 PCR testing taking place with the assistance of Ministries of Health and from CARPHA.

It is not yet determined whether fans will be able to attend matches in person, however, they will be able to follow live on TV in the Caribbean with Flow Sport, live on radio with Vibes FM and their partner radio stations and via ball-by-ball updates and the new live blog in the match centre on www.windiescricket.com.

This will be played at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday 23 November to Saturday 26 November. The day/might match will be played under lights and will recognize the anniversary of the inaugural fixture in 1951, also against the West Indies.

The match will also form part of the team’s preparations for the series against the Aussies, which will feature the first pink ball Test between the two teams. It will be played on 8 to 12 December at the Adelaide Oval following the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth on 30 November to 4 December. The series will be contested for the prestigious Frank Worrell Trophy – named in honor of the legendary West Indies captain. It will also form part of the ICC World Test Championship. 

Australia Prime Minister the Hon Mr Anthony Albanese said: “I am delighted to confirm the return of the Prime Minister’s XI this summer, an Australian tradition that spans 70 years. Along with Cricket Australia, I am very excited to be welcoming the West Indies. I grew up loving watching Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner, so I’m thrilled my first PM’s XI as Prime Minister will be against the current West Indies stars here in Canberra.”

West indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite said: “We’re looking forward to this tour of Australia and there is great energy and readiness in our camp. The match against the Prime Minister’s XI is a major part of the cricket calendar and it will be an honor to lead the West Indies in such a prestigious match.” He added: “My preparation has been going well. I’ve been home for a while so I have been able to do plenty of drills and fitness work as well as playing club cricket and other tournaments … spending time in the middle … for what will be a major tour for us. We have been playing some good Test cricket this year, with very good series wins against England and Bangladesh, and we want to make greater strides in the ICC World Test Championship table.”

Finch twisted his knee while fielding in the closing T20I in St Lucia before going on to score 34 – despite his movements being visibly compromised – as Australia lost by 16 runs and slumped to a 4-1 series defeat.

Matthew Wade is the most likely candidate to take the captaincy if Finch is absent, having done so in the T20I series against India last year.

The 34-year-old opener would be a big miss to an Australia side already without Steve Smith and David Warner, who are injured and rested respectively. Ashton Agar (hamstring) and Ben McDermott (quadriceps) are progressing well.

Australia named an expanded squad for their limited-overs trip to the West Indies to mitigate against the possibility of any coronavirus absentees, although reserves Nathan Ellis and Tanveer Sangha are both bowlers.

Handily illustrating the contrasting state in which both teams approach this three-match rubber, while the tourists are trying to scrabble together a serviceable top order, West Indies head coach Phil Simmons is asking his batsmen to kick on from recent success and post consistently imposing totals.

Shai Hope, Evin Lewis and Darren Bravo each hit centuries in the 3-0 win over Sri Lanka earlier in the year, although each of those successes came when batting second – meaning there was no need for the Windies to extend themselves to 300 and beyond.

"We are looking for the way we batted to continue and improvements have to be made in the middle overs from 20-39 in order for us to get from 280-290 to the 320-330 we'll need against Australia," Simmons said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. "We've been discussing that since the Sri Lanka series so now it's time to put it into action."

Finch's opposite number Kieron Pollard is closing in on a return having sat out the T20I series due to a hamstring complaint while fellow all-rounder Jason Holder is set to return after being rested.

Australia need more Mitch-hitting

In the absence of Smith, Warner and possibly Finch, there will be even more onus on Mitchell Marsh. The powerful batting all-rounder enjoyed a superb series batting at number three during the T20Is and his 219 runs were the most by any player on either side. Marsh's ODI batting average of 34.36 is his best across the three international formats.

Windies opener Evin the time of his life

Fresh from plundering an explosive 79 to be named player of the match in St Lucia, thumping nine sixes from 34 deliveries, opener Lewis will be relishing taking his sparkling form onto the 50-over stage. The destructive left-hander followed 65 in the first match against Sri Lanka at North Sound with 103 – his fourth ODI century to stand alongside nine fifties.

Key Opta facts

- Australia have won 10 of their past 11 ODIs against West Indies but this will be just their second 50-over meeting in five years.
- West Indies' last ODI series win against Australia came in 1995; they have lost four of six since.
- Hope has posted a score in excess of 50 in each of his previous six ODI innings, including two centuries. Only Pakistan great Javed Miandad has bettered this streak in history, when he passed 50 nine consecutive times between March and October in 1987.
- Four of Shimron Hetmyer's past seven dismissals in ODIs cricket for West Indies have been against spin, more times than in his 14 prior (three).
- Finch is 69 runs shy of becoming the sixth player to score 2,000 runs for Australia as captain in ODIs. His batting average of 49.5 as skipper is the highest of any player to have captained Australia at least five times.

Asked to bat first, Australia posted 259-7 from their 50 overs.

Ellyse Perry top-scored with 62 off 85 deliveries and Annabel Sutherland supported with 54 not out. Stafanie Taylor led her team from the front with the ball, taking 3-51 followed while Anisa Mohammed finished with figures of 2-45 and Hayley Matthews 2-45.

In their reply, West Indies Women reached 169/9 in 50 overs.

Taylor led with the bat scoring 66 from 128 deliveries. However, the next best effort came from Matthews with 24.

Ellyse Perry was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 2-6 while Tahlia McGrath, Alana King and Annabel Sutherland took two wickets each.

West Indies Women's vice-captain Anisa Mohammed said despite losing, there were some positives to extract from the match.

"The bowlers bowled really well and we had Australia under some pressure up until the 45th over but with wickets in hand a long batting line-up, it was expected they would go after it (our bowling),” Mohammed said.

“It's good to see Staf (Stafanie) getting back into the runs and taking wickets. We just need a couple more batters to get going and come that first game with New Zealand I think we will be ready."

West Indies will play their final warm-up match against India on Tuesday at Rangiora Oval before taking on home team New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament on March 4 in Tauranga.

Australia won the toss and chose to bat first but there was a delay at the start of play. Shortly after, it was reported by ESPN Cricinfo that play was suspended and all persons in the bubble will go into isolation.  The identity of the person who tested positive has not been revealed.

West Indies legend and commentator, Ian Bishop tweeted, “Unfortunate. It’s the risk taken in these testing times. Hope the person is not to. (sic) Adversely affected”.

Australia currently leads the three-match series 1-0 and were hoping to close out with a win today.

In game one, Australia posted a score of 252 for 9 in a game reduced to 49 overs. Captain Alex Carey top-scored with 67 while Ashton Turner added 49.

Leg spinner Hayden Walsh Jr. was the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 39 from his ten overs. In reply, the Windies were skittled out for just 123 in 26.2 overs. Kieron Pollard was the top scorer with 56 while fast bowler Mitchell Starc picked up his 8th five-wicket haul, finishing with 5 for 48 in 8 overs.