West Indies v England first Test predictions: Bairstow could shine in Caribbean

Free cricket tips, best bets and analysis for the first Test between West Indies and England which starts on Tuesday in Antigua.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 2pm Tuesday

Best bets

Jonny Bairstow top England first-innings runscorer
1pt 11-2 bet365, BoyleSports

Alzarri Joseph over 82.5 performance points
3pts 5-6 bet365

Team news

West Indies
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel (hamstring) is out so Anderson Phillip could make his Test debut.

England
Ollie Robinson has been ruled out due to back spasms so Chris Woakes and Craig Overton are set to take the new ball. Mark Wood (illness) is a doubt. Alex Lees and Zak Crawley will open the batting with Dan Lawrence at number four.

Match preview

After their batting woes in Australia, England start the series against the West Indies with a new-look top order but it may be worth supporting one of the old guard to top-score in the first innings in Antigua.

Zak Crawley and Alex Lees are the latest openers attempting to form a convincing partnership at the top of the order, while Dan Lawrence is set to bat at four, but Jonny Bairstow can outshine his teammates in the middle-order.

The management of Bairstow's Test career has been emblematic of England's muddled thinking in recent years. However, he produced an innings of rare quality and courage in the fourth Ashes Test, coming in at 36-4 to score 113 despite a thumb injury, and followed up with 41 second time around.

He missed the final Test down under but warmed up for this series with a century against the West Indies Cricket Board 11.

In England's 2019 defeat in Antigua he made a rapid 52 as the rest of the top six mustered only 32 runs between them and the Yorkshireman can make a strong start to the series.

The West Indies pace bowlers have caused England problems in recent meetings and 25-year-old Alzarri Joseph is a man to watch.

Bet365's performance market offers one point per run, ten per catch and 20 per wicket and Joseph's efforts made up 70, 97 and 116 in the 2019 series against England and 89 in his last Test in North Sound, against Sri Lanka last year.

He is a key part of the Windies' bowling attack but has the makings of a genuine all-rounder, as demonstrated by Test scores of 86 against New Zealand and 82 against Bangladesh in the last two years.

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