England women to host West Indies for five T20s

LONDON: England women will host West Indies in five Twenty20 matches behind closed doors next month, cricket chiefs announced on Tuesday.

The games will be played in Derby in a bio-secure environment and replace scheduled series against India and South Africa after both teams were unavailable to travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The first match will take place on September 21, with further games to come on September 23, 26, 28 and 30.

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive officer Tom Harrison said he was delighted that the players would be returning to action.

"Protecting the momentum of the women's game was one of our four stated aims right at the beginning of the pandemic in March and I'm delighted that, despite the enormous difficulties that COVID-19 has created, we'll see England women in action this summer," he said.

"It has been critical to us that our efforts to deliver bio-secure standards and support visiting opponents have been equal to those that have so successfully delivered in the England men's series."

ECB managing director of women's cricket Clare Connor thanked the Caribbean side.

"We're grateful to the West Indies for the pace and determination with which they have worked with us over the last couple of weeks," she said.

"We're all still adapting and will need to continue to adapt to the sporting landscape left by COVID-19."