England would be very happy for a change of pace after being battered in the Ashes in Australia for the last few weeks. It now travels to the West Indies for 5 T20 internationals and three Tests. That is a pretty significant series considering the tight calendar that teams have to work with.
West Indies was beaten in an ODI series by Ireland just prior to this series and that is not a good way to gear up for an important contest. However, no one can write off the West Indies when it comes to T20 cricket. They won their home series against Australia last year quite convincingly and will be hoping for the same this time around.
England last played a T20 series in the West Indies in 2019 and won that 3-0.The cricket betting sites are giving England the tag of favorites once more.Match prediction and cricket betting tips for West Indies vs England 1st T20 2022. The match is going to be played at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on the 22nd of January 2022.
WI VS ENG TEAM PREVIEWS
WEST INDIES
West Indies is going to be playing this series with more or less a full squad to choose from. Andre Russell is playing the Bangladesh Premier League but he has never shown a particular interest in the bilateral series.
The obvious strength for the West Indies has always been its batting. Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, and Brandon King are the three names that jump out at you when you look at the squad. These are the three players that have done well for the West Indies in the past and around the world in franchise cricket.Neither of them is in great form, though, and so someone else will have to step up.
Not having Evin Lewis or Lendl Simmons can be a bit of a setback. Fabian Allen, Jason Holder, Roston Chase, and Kyle Mayers in the squad give the West Indies the luxury of choosing a number of different all-rounders.
Batting depth is one area that no one can match the West Indies. Even Hayden Walsh Jr, Odeon Smith, and Romario Shepherd are extremely capable with the bat. West Indies basically bats till number eleven and is filled to the brim with six-hitters.
The bowling attack looks a bit thin. Odean Smith, Fabian Allen, Dominic Drakes, and maybe Akeal Hossain will play the first match. Leaving Sheldon Cottrell could be a big call but we are expecting that to happen.
Overall, the West Indies is a powerful team with a batting lineup that can often struggle up top but recover thanks to its lower order. Its bowling is just about average and will not worry the England lineup one bit.
ENGLAND
It will be a huge relief for England to watch its magnificent white-ball team in action after the absolute battering it received in the Ashes series in Australia. Eoin Morgan will be back in action to lead the side and he will have the outline of the squad that he wants for the World Cup in Australia later this year.
Jason Roy, Phil Salt, James Vince, Moeen Ali, Eoin Morgan, and Liam Livingstone could form the top-6 for the team but they could just as easily find a place for Sam Billings or Tom Banton.
The depth in the batting resources is incredible that even without Buttler, Stokes, Malan, and the Currans, England has problems of plenty in its squad. We think whatever players England chooses, it should have the batting depth to not only compete with the West Indies but come out tops.
Without Buttler, the six-hitting ability of England may be compromised just a bit although Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone are more than capable of compensating for that on their day.Perhaps as impressive as the batting, is the bowling attack that England has at its disposal.
Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, and Chris Jordan are the four bowlers that we feel certain will make the first eleven. That leaves one position for England to experiment with as it sees fit.
England may not have won the T20 World Cup in 2021 but it will certainly go into the 2022 edition as one of the favorites. The kind of talent that it has at its disposal is just well beyond anything that West Indies can match right now.
MATCH DETAILS:
West Indies vs England, 1st T20I
Venue: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Date & Time: January 23rd at 1:30 AM IST and 4 PM (previous day) Local Time
PITCH REPORT
This is somewhat the start of the season in Barbados which means the pitch will be fresh. Expect it to be good for batting while at the same time, spinners might come into action as well. The team winning the toss might look to bowl first and then chase the total later on.
Average first innings score: 141 (In 22 T20 matches played)
Record of chasing teams: Won – 8; Lost – 13
WEST INDIES VS ENGLAND MATCH PREDICTION
Both sides have some exciting players on their roster and expect the series to be a cracking contest. It will all come down to the bowlers’ performances as both sides have power-hitters on their side.
England look a well-settled unit and expect them to come out on top on Saturday.
Prediction: ENGLAND TO WIN THIS ENCOUNTER.