Fantasy Preview: England vs West Indies, First Test, Lord’s | West Indies tour of England, 2024

Recent form (recent first)

England – L L L L W

West Indies – W L D L L

Head to Head

England 51 – 59 West Indies

West Indies won by 10 wickets (2022)

Venue details (six Tests since 2020)

Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Average scores (innings per match): 

271 in the first innings

330 in the second innings 

257 in the third innings 

182 in the fourth innings

Bat first / Bat second split: Three of the last six Tests at Lord’s have been won by the team batting second

Pace and spin split (innings per team): 

First innings: Average 30.4 vs 34.5, Percentage of wickets 86.7% vs 13.3%

Second innings: Average 26 vs 55, Percentage of wickets 84.2% vs 15.8%

Weather conditions

Light showers may interrupt play in small bursts. Day 3 and Day 4 have the most chances for rain, and cloud cover is expected for most of this Test. 

Players to watch out for

Chris Woakes: The 35-year-old would be happy to return to Test cricket at Lord’s. Woakes has picked 27 wickets in 10 innings at this venue, averaging only 11.3 runs per wicket. Against West Indies in England, the right-armer has 13 wickets in six innings, including 5/50 in 2020. Woakes also has a Test hundred at this venue, making him a must-pick player for your fantasy fortunes. 

James Anderson: The veteran seamer would be keen to make an impression in his final Test. Anderson has the most wickets for any bowler at Lord’s – 119 at 25.2 runs per wicket. In the build-up for this Test, the 41-year-old pouched 7/35 in his only County Championship outing this year, for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire. 

Joshua Da Silva: Barring the skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, Joshua Da Silva is the only other West Indies’ batter in the current squad to notch up over 500 Test runs since 2022. He averages 27.4 with a fifty and a hundred in 24 innings. In an underperforming West Indies’ batting line-up, Da Silva can be a vital player, especially considering the points he can fetch with his wicketkeeping gloves. 

Cricket.com’s suggested Fantasy XI

Playing XIs (announced)

England: Zak Crawley,⁠ Ben Duckett, ⁠Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, ⁠Ben Stokes ( c ), ⁠Jamie Smith (wk), ⁠Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, ⁠Shoaib Bashir, ⁠James Anderson

West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite ( c ), Mikyle Louis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

Streaming and Telecast details

The match will begin at 3.30 PM IST on July 10 and will be streamed and telecasted on Sony Liv and Sony Sports

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