West Indies vs England Tests 2020: England Win 2-1 (Wisden Trophy, First Cricket Since COVID Lockdown) — Broad 500 Wickets, Gabriel 9-Wicket 1st Test Win, Stokes 176, Blackwood 95, Archer Biosecurity Breach
England won the three-match Wisden Trophy Test series against West Indies in July 2020 by 2-1 — the first international cricket played anywhere in the world after the COVID-19 pandemic. All three Tests were played in bio-secure bubbles with no spectators. Stuart Broad was England's Player of the Series (16 wickets); Roston Chase was West Indies'. 1st Test Ageas Bowl Southampton (Jul 8-12): West Indies won by 4 wickets — ENG 204 & 313; WI 318 & 200/6. Gabriel 9 match wickets (4/62+5/75 PoM); Holder 6/42; Blackwood 95 match-winning chase (from 27/3). WI 1-0 up in England for first time since 2000. 2nd Test Old Trafford (Jul 16-20): England won by 113 runs — Stokes 176 (PoM); Broad 6 match wkts. Jofra Archer excluded for biosecurity breach (Brighton flat stop — 5 days isolation, £15k fine). 3rd Test Old Trafford (Jul 24-28): England won by 269 runs — Broad 6/31 and 10 match wickets (PoM); Broad's 500th Test wicket (Brathwaite — 7th bowler ever, 4th pacer, 2nd Englishman after Anderson). Ben Stokes 363 series runs (top scorer).
England won the three-match Wisden Trophy Test series against West Indies in July 2020 by 2-1 — the first international cricket played anywhere in the world after the COVID-19 pandemic halted the sport in March 2020. All three Tests were played in bio-secure bubbles with no spectators at the Ageas Bowl (Southampton) and Emirates Old Trafford (Manchester). Joe Root captained England; Jason Holder captained West Indies. Stuart Broad was England's Player of the Series with 16 wickets; Roston Chase was West Indies' Player of the Series. 1st Test Ageas Bowl, Southampton (Jul 8-12): West Indies won by 4 wickets — ENG 204 & 313; WI 318 & 200/6. Shannon Gabriel took 4/62 in England's 1st innings and 5/75 in the 2nd — 9 match wickets; Player of the Match. Jason Holder took 6/42 in England's 1st innings. Jermaine Blackwood scored 95 in West Indies' chase of 200, coming in at 27/3 and guiding them home. West Indies went 1-0 up in England for the first time since 2000. 2nd Test Old Trafford (Jul 16-20): England won by 113 runs — ENG 469/9d & 129/3d; WI 287 & 198. Ben Stokes scored 176 off 356 balls — his longest innings by balls faced. Player of the Match: Stokes. Broad took 6 match wickets. Jofra Archer was excluded from this Test for a biosecurity breach — he stopped at his Brighton flat when travelling between venues, violating the bio-bubble protocol. He was required to serve 5 days of self-isolation, produce two negative COVID-19 tests before rejoining, and was fined approximately £15,000 (his match fee) with an ECB official written warning. 3rd Test Old Trafford (Jul 24-28): England won by 269 runs — ENG 369 & 226/2d; WI 197 & 129. Broad took 6/31 in West Indies' 1st innings and 10 match wickets. When Broad dismissed Kraigg Brathwaite, he became the 7th bowler in Test history, the 4th fast bowler, and the 2nd Englishman (after James Anderson) to take 500 Test wickets. Player of the Match: Broad. Archer returned for this Test after completing isolation. Ben Stokes's 363 series runs made him England's top scorer.
Stuart Broad's 500th Wicket at Old Trafford: A Historic Milestone
Stuart Broad's 500th Test wicket — Kraigg Brathwaite caught in the 3rd Test at Old Trafford — placed him in the most exclusive company in bowling history. Only six bowlers had previously reached 500 Test wickets: Muralitharan, Warne, Kumble, Anderson, Harbhajan, and Kapil Dev. Broad was the 7th. His 6/31 in West Indies' 1st innings in the same match was the best figures of his Test career and one of the most dominant single innings bowling performances of the series. The 10 match wickets (6/31+4/? in the 2nd innings) secured the series for England 2-1 and restored the Wisden Trophy to English hands. Broad's 500-wicket milestone came in just his 138th Test — he had taken 16 series wickets in the three matches, building on his match-winning performance at Southampton in the final Test as a fitting context for the landmark.
The First Post-COVID Cricket and Blackwood's Match-Winning 95 at Southampton
The West Indies tour of England — beginning on 8 July 2020 — was the moment international cricket restarted after a four-month global shutdown. The series served as a blueprint for cricket's return: bio-secure bubbles, no spectators, pre-tour quarantine, mandatory daily testing, and restricted movement for all participants. West Indies flew in early to quarantine and prepared by playing intra-squad matches. Jermaine Blackwood's 95 in West Indies' 1st Test chase of 200 — coming in at 27/3 with the target barely half-faced and being dropped on 5 and 20 — was named by Wisden as one of the Test innings of the year. His pulling and cutting against Jofra Archer's short-ball barrage gave West Indies a 1-0 lead that the English press had not expected. Gabriel's 9 match wickets (including a 5/75 in England's 2nd innings) made him the standout bowler of the opening Test. Shannon Gabriel: 11 wickets in the series.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2020 West Indies vs England Test series?
England won 2-1 (Wisden Trophy). West Indies won Test 1 at Southampton by 4 wickets (Gabriel 9 wkts; Blackwood 95). England won Tests 2 (Old Trafford, 113 runs — Stokes 176 PoM; Archer excluded for biosecurity breach) and 3 (Old Trafford, 269 runs — Broad 6/31; Broad's 500th wicket). Broad was England's Player of the Series with 16 wickets.
When did Stuart Broad take his 500th Test wicket?
Broad took his 500th Test wicket (Kraigg Brathwaite) in the 3rd Test at Old Trafford in July 2020 against West Indies — in the same match where he took 6/31 in West Indies' 1st innings. He became the 7th bowler in Test history, the 4th fast bowler, and the 2nd Englishman (after Anderson) to reach 500 Test wickets.