West Indies, Ireland to pit academies in Antigua next month

ST JOHN’S, Antigua:

CRICKET WEST Indies (CWI) yesterday announced the match schedule and venues for the West Indies Academy home series against Ireland Academy.

The series will feature three 50-Over matches and two four-day matches in Antigua from November 17 to December 5.

The first 50-Over match will be at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS) on Friday, November 17, followed by the second match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) on Sunday, November 19. The third limited-over match will be back at SVRS on Tuesday, November 21.

Both four-day matches will be played at CCG – the first starting on Sunday, November 25 and the second on Sunday, December 2.

Graeme West, CWI’s high-performance manager, outlined the idea behind the series and the structure. He noted that CWI continues to prioritise the development of players with the aim to prepare them to play at the highest level.

He said: “We are delighted to host Ireland Academy in Antigua for what will be a highly competitive multi-format series. This series is critical in the players ongoing development and education and we are pleased that it will involve both red and white ball matches. 2023 has provided the players with some great exposure through the Headley-Weekes Series, the CG United Super50 Cup and the Republic Bank CPL, so this will be a fitting conclusion to the calendar year and provide the squad with clear aims and objectives going into 2024.”

West added: “These five matches are not being played in isolation, but form part of CWI’s overall high-performance strategy. We want to provide the squad with competitive environments and high-performance platforms that facilitate growth and prepare the players to excel in a West Indies shirt.”

Match Schedule

November 17: 1st 50-Over match at SVRS

November 19: 2nd 50-Over match at CCG

November 21: 3rd 50-Over match at SVRS

November 25-28: 1st 4-Day match at CCG

December 2-5: 2nd 4-Day match at CCG