England confirm West Indies series for July
England will play three Tests in the home to the West Indies in July, subject to British government clearance to return behind closed doors, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Tuesday.
The first Test will take place at Hampshire's Ageas Bowl ground from July 8-12, with the next and third Tests at Old Trafford in Manchester on July 16-20 and July 24-28 respectively.
The series have been due to happen in June but was delayed as a result of the coronavirus.
The West Indies, who agreed in principle to take part in the series the other day, are due to get to England on June 9 and can then be based at Old Trafford for a three-week period of quarantine and training before travelling right down to Southampton.
ECB director of events Steve Elworthy said: "Our main objective is to provide a protected climate for all stakeholders including players, match officials, operational staff, essential venue staff, broadcasters and media.
"We are in daily dialogue with government and our medical team, who've been incredibly supportive during this time period. They are our proposed dates plus they remain at the mercy of UK government approval.
"We wish to thank Cricket West Indies for his or her co-operation and dedication in making this tour a reality, and we all look forward to the prospect of cricket returning in the coming weeks."
The series must have started at The Oval in south London on Thursday, with the next and third Tests actually scheduled for Edgbaston and Lord's.
But the fixtures -- now nowadays matches -- were moved to the Ageas Bowl and Old Trafford for reasons of bio-security, with both grounds having on-site hotels where players and officials could be closely monitored for signs of COVID-19.
