Kensington Oval to host England Test

St. John's (Antigua), Aug 5 (IANS/CMC) The Kensington Oval will host a Test during England's tour of the Caribbean next year, following the West Indies Cricket Board's announcement that the historic venue would stage the final Test of the three-match series.

The tour, which runs from April 13 to May 5, will see Tests played at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua and the National Stadium in Grenada, the WICB said Monday, reports CMC.

It was reported last May that the WICB had overlooked Kensington Oval, in deciding on Guyana, Grenada and Jamaica as the venues for the three Tests.

According to cricket website, Cricinfo, a subsequent backlash from some regional cricket board officials and some politicians, forced the WICB to re-open the bidding process.

In a statement, the WICB said it had "embarked on a bidding process to determine the venues for the three Test series. The three venues prevailed following the bidding process."

The England tour is regarded as a lucrative one for Caribbean venues because of the overwhelming support from travelling fans.

Kensington Oval has long been a popular venue for England Tests, with Barbados an equally popular destination for British tourists and in particular, English cricket fans.

Last March, England played a three-match Twenty20 series before large crowds at Kensington Oval, as part of their limited overs tour of the Caribbean.

Next year's tour will bowl off in Antigua with the first Test from April 13-17, while the second Test is scheduled for April 21-25. Barbados will host the final Test from March 1-5.

--IANS/CMC

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