Kensington Oval to host first day/night Test in the Caribbean

The Kensington Oval in Barbados will host the first day/night Test match in the Caribbean in June, when the West Indies play host to Sri Lanka in a three-match Test series.

There have been eight day/night Test matches since the inaugural match between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide in November 2015. Although the West Indies have played in – and lost – two day/night Tests, none have ever been hosted in the Caribbean. 

That will change on June 23 when the West Indies will welcome Sri Lanka to the Kensington Oval for the final match of their Test series.

Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed they will play the hosts at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago, on 6 June and at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in the second Test on 14 June before the series finale in Barbados.

As well as making history with the first day/night Test in the region, the series will also mark Sri Lanka’s first tour of the Caribbean in 10 years.

The previous two-match Test tour ended in a 1-1 draw, with Sri Lanka claiming their maiden Test win in the West Indies with a 121-run victory in Guyana in March 2008 before the West Indies levelled things with a six-wicket win in Trinidad and Tobago.   

While the West Indies have had no success in day/night cricket so far, losing to Pakistan in Dubai in October 2016 and England in Birmingham in August 2017, Sri Lanka won their only Test in this format, beating Pakistan in Dubai in October 2017 to secure a series win. 

Sri Lanka are ranked the sixth-best side in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings, while the West Indies are eighth. (ICC)