WI vs ENG 1st ODI: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium Antigua Pitch Report

Debashis Sarangi

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua [Source: @mdsadiq2k/X]Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua [Source: @mdsadiq2k/X]

On Thursday, West Indies will cross swords against England in the first ODI of the upcoming three-match series on home soil. After receiving a 2-1 drubbing by Sri Lanka, the Men in Maroon would be keen to redeem themselves in this home series. 

Led by keeper-batter Shai Hope, West Indies have already announced a formidable squad for this series. While explosive middle-order batter Shimron Hetmyer gets a recall, out-of-form opener Alick Athanaze gets sidelined following his failure in the Sri Lanka ODIs. 

Meanwhile, Liam Livingstone is all set to don the English skipper's hat, with a calf injury ruling Jos Buttler out of then series. The visitors have invested in youth and it will be interesting to see how the youngsters perform against the hosts. 

As both teams gear up to face each other in a cracking battle, let's see how the surface at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua will behave throughout the contest. 

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium Antigua Ground Stats In ODIs

Criterion
Data
Matches Played22
Matches won batting first10
Matches won batting second12
Average 1st innings score248
Average 2nd innings score250
Average Runs Per Over5.09

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium Antigua Pitch Report: Batters Or Bowlers, Who Will Be More Successful?

The surface at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua won't likely offer significant lateral movement to the fast bowlers early on with the new ball. So, the top-order batters might find it easy to capitalise on the powerplay restrictions and score against the new ball. 

However, run-scoring might get more difficult as the ball gets older. The pacers can be useful with their hard-length bowling, cutters and change-ups, while the spinners will get decent turn throughout the match. 

The track might get slightly better for batting under the lights. Overall, the chasing sides have been more successful in Antigua, winning twelve of 22 matches. So, the toss-winning side will likely elect to bowl first. 

Players To Watch Out For At Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

Shai Hope

  • Shai Hope is West Indies' most dependable batter in the ODI format. The stylish right-handed batter has impressive numbers in Antigua, amassing 531 runs in nine innings at a superb average of 66.38. 

Adil Rashid

  • Antigua's surface will assist the spinners across both innings. Therefore, we expect England's experienced spinner Adil Rashid to play a crucial role at this venue. 

Sherfane Rutherford

  • The dynamic middle order batter is regarded as West Indies' crisis man in limited-overs cricket. Rutherford recently looked in sublime touch against Sri Lanka and would like to sustain his purple patch for the Men in Maroon.