ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Julian Hunte believes the Caribbean side’s fighting series win over England is a huge boost to the side’s bid to improve their status in international cricket.

West Indies capped off a series in which they have shown resilience with a gutsy draw in the fifth Test at Queen’s Park Oval Tuesday that allowed them to hang on for a 1-0 series win.
They had beaten England by an innings and 23 runs in the first Test in Jamaica and with all the other matches – the abandoned second Test apart – ending in drawn results, the West Indies snapped their losing trend against the English.

“The team played really well throughout the series to record an historic victory. This is a tonic for the continued development of West Indies cricket,” Hunte said in a WICB press release.
The fifth Test secured a series victory for the Windies over England for the first time in 11 years and allowed them to regain the Wisden Trophy which symbolises excellence in Tests between the two sides.
It was also West Indies’ first victory in a Test series over a side above them in the world rankings for six years.

Hunte congratulated the players and support staff, declaring his agreement with captain Chris Gayle that the victory was for the “people of the Caribbean” and “those in the diaspora” who continue to support West Indies cricket.

“We have not won a series against England since 1998 and the performances throughout this series have been truly brilliant and heart-warming. Results such like these are sure to lift the spirits of our supporters all around the world,” Hunte said.

Hunte assured the team that the WICB will continue to offer its full support and encouragement and urged the players to maintain the standards in the upcoming Digicel T20 International and five-match Digicel One-Day International Series.

West Indies play England in a one-off Twenty20 international on Sunday before the two sides embark on a five-match One Day International (ODI) series from March 20 to April 3.
The West Indies, an all-conquering force during the 1970s and 1980s, have fallen in the past decade to the lower half of the ICC world rankings – seventh in Test cricket and eighth in the ODI rankings.