England vs West Indies Cricket Timeline: Full H2H History
The England vs West Indies cricket timeline stretches from 1928 to the present day across 166 Tests, 110 ODIs, and 38 T20Is. West Indies lead the Test head-to-head 59–54 with 53 draws. England lead ODIs 57–47, while West Indies hold a narrow 19–18 lead in T20Is. The rivalry’s defining chapter was West Indies’ near-total dominance from 1973 to 2000– a period that included two back-to-back 5–0 Blackwashes and an unbroken 27-year grip on the Wisden Trophy. In 1984, West Indies walked into Edgbaston and replied to England’s 191 with 606. They did it four more times that summer. Five Tests. Five wins. The first 5–0 whitewash in Test history on English soil. Forty years later, England swept West Indies 3–0 in the 2024 Richards-Botham Trophy, dismissing them for 121 and 136 across two innings in the same series. Few long-running Test rivalries have experienced a power shift as dramatic as England versus West Indies. That reversal- from one side’s total, sustained dominance to the others is what makes this contest unlike any other in Test cricket.
Complete England vs West Indies Cricket Timeline (1928–2026)
The england cricket team vs west indies cricket team timeline spans nearly a century of Test, ODI, and T20I cricket. Below is the year-by-year progression of every major turning point- the matches, series, and moments that shaped this rivalry.
Key Timeline Events: Year by Year
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| Year | Event | Result |
| 1928 | First-ever Test series, England | England win 3–0 |
| 1929/30 | First series in West Indies | Drawn 1–1 |
| 1930 | WI first Test win, Georgetown | West Indies win by 289 runs |
| 1950 | WI tour of England | West Indies win 3–1 |
| 1963 | First Wisden Trophy awarded | West Indies win 3–1 |
| 1966 | Sobers leads WI in England | West Indies win 3–1 |
| 1967/68 | England tour of WI | England win- first trophy change |
| 1973 | Clive Lloyd era begins | West Indies win 2–0 |
| 1976 | Viv Richards scores 829 runs in series | West Indies win 3–0 |
| 1980 | WI tour of England | West Indies win 1–0 |
| 1984 | First Blackwash- England home | West Indies win 5–0 |
| 1985/86 | Second Blackwash- WI home | West Indies win 5–0 |
| 1988 | Marshall takes 35 wickets in series | West Indies win 4–0 |
| 1991 | Series in England | Drawn 2–2 |
| 1994 | Lara scores 375 in Antigua | West Indies win 3–1 |
| 2000 | England regain Wisden Trophy | England win 3–1 |
| 2004 | England sweep WI in England | England win 4–0 |
| 2009 | WI win series in Caribbean | West Indies win 1–0 |
| 2016 | Brathwaite’s four sixes- T20 WC Final | West Indies win |
| 2019 | WI win in Caribbean | West Indies win 2–1 |
| 2020 | Final Wisden Trophy series | England win 2–1 |
| 2021 | Richards-Botham Trophy introduced | — |
| 2024 | Richards-Botham Trophy | England win 3–0 |
| 2025 | WI tour of England (ODI + T20I) | England sweep both 3–0 |
| 2026 | T20 World Cup Group C- Mumbai | West Indies win by 30 runs |
Head-to-Head Records: Format by Format
The complete England vs West Indies head-to-head tells a story of two distinct eras: West Indies dominance from 1963 to 1999, and England’s gradual takeover from 2000 onwards. Across all three formats, the contest remains tightly competitive, with West Indies retaining a narrow overall Test lead and a slight T20I edge.
Test Records (1928–2024)
West Indies lead the all-time Test head-to-head 59–54, with 53 draws across 166 Tests since 1928.
| Metric | England | West Indies |
| Total Tests | 166 | 166 |
| Wins | 54 | 59 |
| Draws | 53 | 53 |
| First Test win | 1928 | 1930 |
| Test series won (Wisden era) | 10 | 14 |
ODI Records (1973–2025)
England lead the ODI head-to-head 57–47 across 110 matches. The most recent series in June 2025 saw England win 3–0, including a 238-run victory at Edgbaston– the largest winning margin in this ODI fixture’s history. Joe Root scored an unbeaten 166 in that match.
T20I Records (2007–2026)
Across 38 T20Is, West Indies lead 19–18 with 1 no-result. Their most recent win came at the 2026 T20 World Cup in Mumbai– a 30-run victory posting 196 and restricting England to 166- confirming that West Indies remain a genuine threat to England in the shortest format regardless of Test form.
All Test Series Results: Wisden Trophy and Richards-Botham Trophy Era (1963–2024)
Every series in the england cricket team vs west indies cricket team timeline under the Wisden Trophy and Richards-Botham Trophy is listed below. This table is the most complete series-by-series record available for this rivalry.
Complete Series Results Table
| Series | Host | Result | Winner |
| 1963 | England | WI win 3–1 | West Indies |
| 1966 | England | WI win 3–1 | West Indies |
| 1967/68 | West Indies | ENG win 1–0 | England |
| 1969 | England | ENG win 2–0 | England |
| 1973 | England | WI win 2–0 | West Indies |
| 1973/74 | West Indies | Drawn 1–1 | — |
| 1976 | England | WI win 3–0 | West Indies |
| 1980 | England | WI win 1–0 | West Indies |
| 1980/81 | West Indies | WI win 2–0 | West Indies |
| 1984 | England | WI win 5–0 | West Indies |
| 1985/86 | West Indies | WI win 5–0 | West Indies |
| 1988 | England | WI win 4–0 | West Indies |
| 1989/90 | West Indies | WI win 2–1 | West Indies |
| 1991 | England | Drawn 2–2 | — |
| 1993/94 | West Indies | WI win 3–1 | West Indies |
| 1995 | England | Drawn 2–2 | — |
| 1997/98 | West Indies | WI win 3–1 | West Indies |
| 2000 | England | ENG win 3–1 | England |
| 2003/04 | West Indies | ENG win 3–0 | England |
| 2004 | England | ENG win 4–0 | England |
| 2007 | England | ENG win 3–0 | England |
| 2008/09 | West Indies | WI win 1–0 | West Indies |
| 2009 | England | ENG win 2–0 | England |
| 2012 | England | ENG win 2–0 | England |
| 2014/15 | West Indies | Drawn 1–1 | — |
| 2017 | England | ENG win 2–1 | England |
| 2018/19 | West Indies | WI win 2–1 | West Indies |
| 2020 | England | ENG win 2–1 | England |
| 2024 | England | ENG win 3–0 | England |
The Quantified Power Shift
Between 1963 and 1999, West Indies won 14 series to England’s 3. Between 2000 and 2024, England won 9 series to West Indies’ 2. That data point is the single most important number in understanding the arc of this rivalry- dominance did not just shift, it reversed completely within one generation.
Head-to-Head by Decade
Understanding the England vs West Indies Test rivalry by decade reveals how completely the balance of power shifted over time.
Decade-by-Decade Dominance
| Decade | ENG Wins | WI Wins | Draws | Dominant Side |
| 1928–1939 | 12 | 5 | 5 | England |
| 1940–1959 | 8 | 7 | 3 | Balanced |
| 1960–1969 | 11 | 7 | 10 | Balanced |
| 1970–1979 | 1 | 13 | 9 | West Indies |
| 1980–1989 | 2 | 27 | 5 | West Indies |
| 1990–1999 | 8 | 15 | 9 | West Indies |
| 2000–2009 | 18 | 5 | 8 | England |
| 2010–2019 | 13 | 6 | 3 | England |
| 2020–2026 | 7 | 1 | 1 | England |
The 1980s stand out as the most lopsided decade in this rivalry’s history. West Indies won 27 of 34 Tests in that period- a win rate of nearly 80%. No other rivalry in Test cricket features a single decade of that level of dominance.
Rivalry Records: Stats That Define This Contest
The england cricket team vs west indies cricket team timeline has produced some of the most extreme statistical records in Test cricket history. From the highest individual scores to the lowest team totals, this fixture consistently produces outlier performances.
Highest Team Scores in Tests
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| Rank | Score | Team | Year |
| 1 | 751/5 dec | West Indies | 2004 |
| 2 | 749/9 dec | West Indies | 2009 |
| 3 | 692/8 dec | West Indies | 1995 |
| 4 | 687/8 dec | West Indies | 1976 |
| 5 | 652/8 dec | West Indies | 1973 |
West Indies dominate the highest-scoring innings list, reflecting their batting supremacy during the rivalry’s peak decades.
Lowest Team Scores in Tests
| Rank | Score | Team | Year |
| 1 | 46 | England | 1994 |
| 2 | 47 | West Indies | 2004 |
| 3 | 51 | England | 2009 |
| 4 | 54 | West Indies | 2000 |
| 5 | 61 | West Indies | 2000 |
Highest Individual Scores in Tests
| Rank | Score | Player | Year |
| 1 | 400* | Brian Lara (WI) | 2004 |
| 2 | 375 | Brian Lara (WI) | 1994 |
| 3 | 302 | Lawrence Rowe (WI) | 1974 |
| 4 | 291 | Viv Richards (WI) | 1976 |
| 5 | 291 | Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI) | 2009 |
Brian Lara holds both the world record Test score (400*) and the second-highest score in this fixture (375)– both made against England, both at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
Most Runs and Wickets in Tests
The leading run-scorers and wicket-takers in this rivalry paint a clear picture of which side produced the greater individual performers across the fixture’s peak era.
Most Runs in Tests (Wisden Trophy Era)
| Rank | Player | Runs | Innings |
| 1 | Brian Lara (WI) | 2,983 | 51 |
| 2 | Viv Richards (WI) | 2,969 | 50 |
| 3 | Desmond Haynes (WI) | 2,392 | 59 |
| 4 | Gordon Greenidge (WI) | 2,318 | 48 |
| 5 | Geoffrey Boycott (ENG) | 2,205 | 53 |
England’s best run-scorer in this fixture, Geoffrey Boycott, is 778 runs behind West Indies’ record holder. That gap is not a coincidence- it directly reflects the era in which most of these runs were scored.
Most Wickets in Tests (Wisden Trophy Era)
| Rank | Player | Wickets |
| 1 | Curtly Ambrose (WI) | 164 |
| 2 | Courtney Walsh (WI) | 145 |
| 3 | Malcolm Marshall (WI) | 127 |
| 4 | Lance Gibbs (WI) | 100 |
| 5 | Michael Holding (WI) | 96 |
Malcolm Marshall’s 35 wickets in the 1988 series alone remains the record for any bowler in a single series in this fixture. In 1984 he bowled through a broken thumb and still finished with 24 wickets. Those two facts explain, more than any analysis can, what England faced across that decade.
The Richards-Botham Trophy: What It Is and Why It Matters
The Richards-Botham Trophy is the prize contested between England and West Indies in Test series, replacing the iconic Wisden Trophy in 2020. It is one of the most meaningful trophies in international cricket, named after two players whose careers defined this rivalry’s greatest era.
From Wisden Trophy to Richards-Botham Trophy
The Wisden Trophy was first awarded in 1963, created to mark the 100th edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. West Indies won it immediately, held it briefly, then held it again from 1973 to 2000- an unbroken 27-year period. In July 2020, the ECB and Cricket West Indies jointly announced the trophy’s retirement and introduced the Richards-Botham Trophy.
Why These Two Names
Sir Vivian Richards scored more than 8,500 Test runs and is widely regarded as the most destructive batter of the 20th century. Sir Ian Botham took 383 Test wickets and scored over 5,000 runs- England’s greatest all-rounder. The two were fierce opponents on the field and close friends off it, having played county cricket together at Somerset. Their relationship- combative, enduring, mutually respectful- mirrors the rivalry itself.
Trophy Record: Wisden Era (1963–2020)
Over 28 series under the Wisden Trophy, West Indies won 14, England won 10, and 4 were drawn. The Wisden Trophy is now on permanent display at the MCC Museum at Lord’s.
Five Matches That Defined This Rivalry
The england cricket team vs west indies cricket team timeline has been shaped by a handful of matches that shifted momentum, changed dynasties, and entered cricket folklore permanently.
1950 Lord’s Test- West Indies Win by 326 Runs
Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine took 59 wickets between them across the 1950 series. England had no answer to that level of spin accuracy. West Indies won the series 3–1- their first series win in England– and the Lord’s win by 326 runs announced their arrival as a world power.
1976- Viv Richards’ 829-Run Series
In five Tests, Viv Richards scored 829 runs at an average of 118.43. England’s captain Tony Greig had publicly promised to make the West Indies “grovel” before the series began. Richards took it personally. He scored centuries in three consecutive Tests, including 291 at The Oval– one of the great individual innings in this fixture.
1984 Edgbaston- West Indies 606 vs England 191 and 235
England made 191. West Indies replied with 606. England then collapsed for 235. Malcolm Marshall bowled through a plaster cast on his broken thumb and still took wickets. This was the match that confirmed the Blackwash was not just possible- it was inevitable. West Indies did not drop the intensity across a single session in the remaining four Tests.
2000 Headingley- England Regain the Wisden Trophy
England’s 3–1 win in 2000 broke West Indies’ 27-year hold on the Wisden Trophy. It was the series that marked the definitive end of West Indies’ grip on this fixture and signalled the opening of England’s modern era in international cricket.
2016 T20 World Cup Final, Kolkata- Brathwaite’s Four Sixes
England needed to defend 19 runs off the final over. Ben Stokes bowled it. Carlos Brathwaite hit the first four balls out of the ground- four consecutive sixes. West Indies won by 4 wickets. This remains the most iconic over in the modern history of the rivalry. For the West Indies, it ended a long drought at ICC level. For England, it ended a World Cup campaign in the most painful manner possible.
Era Dominance Summary
| Era | Dominant Side | Key Metric |
| 1928–1949 | England | Won 12 of 22 Tests |
| 1950–1969 | Contested | Two series each in England |
| 1970–1989 | West Indies | Won 40 of 57 Tests, two Blackwashes |
| 1990–1999 | West Indies (declining) | Won 15 of 32 Tests |
| 2000–2019 | England | Won 31 of 53 Tests, 9 of 11 series |
| 2020–2026 | England | Won 7 of 9 Tests, WI competitive in T20 |
FAQs:
Q1: Who leads the England vs West Indies Test head-to-head?
A1: West Indies lead England in Tests with 59 wins to 54, with 53 draws across 166 Tests since 1928.
Q2: When did England and West Indies first play Test cricket?
A2: Their first Test series was played in England in 1928. England won all three matches by an innings. West Indies won their first Test against England in 1930, in Georgetown, by 289 runs.
Q3: What was the Blackwash in England vs West Indies cricket history?
A3: The Blackwash refers to West Indies winning all five Tests of the 1984 summer series in England– the first time any team had whitewashed England at home in a full series. West Indies repeated the 5–0 result in the Caribbean in 1985/86. No other team has achieved back-to-back 5–0 results against the same opponent in Test history.
Q4: What is the Richards-Botham Trophy?
A4: The Richards-Botham Trophy replaced the Wisden Trophy in 2020 as the prize contested in the England vs West Indies Test series. It is named after Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Ian Botham. The Wisden Trophy, first awarded in 1963, is now displayed at the MCC Museum at Lord’s.
Q5: Who leads the ODI head-to-head between England and West Indies?
A5: England lead 57–47 across 110 ODIs, including a 238-run victory at Edgbaston in June 2025- the largest margin of victory in this fixture’s ODI history.
Q6: Who leads the T20I head-to-head between England and West Indies?
A6: West Indies lead 19–18 across 38 T20Is. Their most recent win was a 30-run victory at the 2026 T20 World Cup in Mumbai.
Q7: Who is the highest Test run-scorer in England vs West Indies matches?
A7: Brian Lara holds the record with 2,983 runs across 51 innings in the Wisden Trophy era. Viv Richards is second with 2,969 runs.
Q8: Who is the leading Test wicket-taker in England vs West Indies matches?
A8: Curtly Ambrose leads with 164 wickets, ahead of Courtney Walsh (145) and Malcolm Marshall (127).
Q9: What is the highest individual score in England vs West Indies Tests?
A9: Brian Lara’s 400 not out at the Antigua Recreation Ground in 2004- the world record Test score- made against England’s bowling attack. He also holds the second-highest score in this fixture: 375 in 1994 at the same ground.
Q10: How long did the West Indies hold the Wisden Trophy?
A10: West Indies held the Wisden Trophy for 27 consecutive years, from 1973 to 2000. England reclaimed it with a 3–1 series win in England in 2000.
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