West Indies have once again come to the rescue of English cricket with the news that their women’s team will arrive next month for a five-match Twenty20 series that includes one match shown live on BBC TV. Heather Knight’s England players had been due to host India and South Africa this summer but were then faced with the prospect of an empty fixture list after both countries were forced to pull out due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But now Cricket West Indies has stepped into the breach, following the men’s Test series earlier this summer by agreeing to send its women’s team over for five T20 internationals from 21 September in a biosecure bubble set up at Derbyshire’s County Ground. The entire series will be shown live on Sky Sports, with the third match on Saturday 26 September also due to be simulcast on a BBC channel – the first women’s international to be shown on free-to-air television since the 1993 World Cup final. Clare Connor, director of England women’s cricket, said: “We’re grateful to the West Indies for the pace and determination with which they have worked with us over the last couple of weeks. It’s fantastic for the visibility of the women’s game that the third IT20 will be simulcast live on the BBC and Sky Sports and I hope that it’s an event that catches the attention of some new fans.” England currently have 24 players in training for the series, all of whom will be available to play in the first two rounds of the upcoming Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy on 29 and 31 August. The final of that bespoke 50-over competition has also been moved to Sunday 27 September to avoid a clash with the West Indies series.