The first Test of the three-match Test series between England and West Indies was won by the Caribbeans by six wickets at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. It was indeed a special game as it marked the return of international cricket post coronavirus outbreak.
The thrilling Test began on Wednesday (July 08) and continued until the Windies captured the victory on the fifth and final day, breaking the much-discussed 4-day Test matches debate. For the visitors, pacer Shannon Gabriel, skipper Jason Holder and middle-order batsman Jermaine Blackwood turned out to be the chief architects behind the epic triumph over England.
Gabriel ended up taking nine wickets in the game including a five-wicket haul in the second innings. At the same time, Holder bagged seven scalps with six in the first innings. Blackwood, on the other hand, shined with the willow as he scored a gutsy 95-run knock during Windies’ successful chase of 200 in the fourth innings of the match.
Apart from the good news which greeted West Indies’ players after the completion of the first Test, there is another scintillating information welcomed the Caribbean players. According to the DailyMail, Windies players will earn a maximum of £1,875 each as a bonus if they manage to win the three-match series.
Under the terms of Cricket West Indies (CWI) contracts, Holder-led side does not receive match win bonuses but are incentivised to capture Test series with a total of £23,800 split between the squad. As far as splitting is concerned, then their entire 15-man squad shares half of the Windies’ win bonus and the rest gets distributed between those who actually take the field. It means that the allotment would drop to below £1,600 per man if WI ends up conquering the series.
Like every other cricket board, CWI was also impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, the board had announced temporary salary cuts of 50 per cent for all employees, including administrators, players, officials and ground staff.
In contrast, England’s cricketers will pocket approximately £6,500 if they level the series when both the team meets in Manchester for the second Test. Also, if from now, hosts would win the series, players would get an additional £19,500 per individual.
