Windies vs Eng: Antigua pitch rated 'below average'

The Antigua pitch, where West Indies and England played the second Test of the three-match series has been rated as "below average".

Consequently, the venue has received one demerit point according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, who gave the rating, cited the uneven bounce at the southern main pavilion end as the reason for the rating in his report.

In the revised ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, which was introduced on 4 January 2018, if a pitch or outfield is rated as being substandard, that venue will be allocated a number of demerit points.

One demerit point will be awarded to venues whose pitches are rated by the match referees as below average, while three and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose pitches are marked as poor and unfit, respectively.

No demerit point will be awarded when the outfield is rated as below average, but two and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose outfields are marked as poor and unfit, respectively.

Demerit points will remain active for a rolling five-year period.

When a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months, while a venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.