ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2019

679 Other Matches in 2019 This section includes matches that are designated as 2019, rather than 2018/19 or 2019/20, but were not played either in Ireland (which, as a Test nation, now receives a section to itself) or in England and Wales (for which, see the 2020 edition of Wisden ). There were eleven matches in this category in 2019. This number is significantly smaller than in some earlier years, partly at least because of the demise of the Intercontinental Cup. Sri Lanka hosted two Tests against New Zealand, winning the first after a close contest but losing the second by an innings. In the only other Test rubber in this section, India returned West Indies’ visit in 2018/19 with the usual result in Tests nowadays between these opponents: India won both Tests by very large margins and extended their unbeaten run against West Indies to 23 matches. Both these rubbers, along with the Ashes series in England, counted towards the ICC World Test Championship (see page 7 for the table at the end of the 2019 season). Other than the Tests, all the matches were between ‘A’ sides. Afghanistan A visited Bangladesh for two matches and beat the hosts 1-0, an encouraging outcome for Afghanistan’s prospects at international level. But India A were the most active side, securing two very substantial wins in Sri Lanka (the first of them an especially severe beating) followed by three matches in West Indies, of which they won the first two comfortably before stubborn batting by the home side earned a draw in the third. (JCB)