West Indies to play first Twenty20 international

West Indies will play their first Twenty20 international in early 2006 during their three-Test, five ODI tour of New Zealand. The announcement was made by the West Indies board as they revealed the schedule for major matches in 2005-06.

The international season starts with a tour of Australia which begins on October 22. The side will play three Tests (in Brisbane, Hobart and Adelaide) as well as two first-class matches, against Queensland and Victoria. They then travel to New Zealand before returning to the Caribbean for home series against India and Zimbabwe.

The West Indies Cricket Board approved the schedule at its Board of Directors meeting held in St Maarten last week.

The domestic season kicks off on October 2 with the preliminary round of the President's Cup, the regional one-day tournament.

The President's Cup will be played on a round-robin single-round basis among the six teams, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Windward Islands and Trinidad & Tobago. This phase of the competition ends on October 9

with the top four teams going on to Guyana for the final four. That begins on October 12 with the final scheduled for October 16. Reserve days are allocated for both semi-finals as well as the final.

The Carib Cup four-day first-class tournament among the same six teams will be played over two rounds on a home and away basis with the first round scheduled for November 11 with a break over the Christmas and New Year after the first five rounds. The final of the tournament will again be played over five days.

Australia Itinerary
27 -30 October - Queensland
3-7 November - First Test (Brisbane)
11-13 November - Victoria
17-21 November - Second Test (Hobart)
25-29 November - Third Test (Adelaide)

New Zealand itinerary
16 Feb - Twenty20 International, Eden Park, Auckland
18 Feb - 1st ODI, (D/N), Westpac Stadium, Wellington
22 Feb - 2nd ODI, Queenstown Events Centre, Queenstown
25 Feb - 3rd ODI, (D/N) Jade Stadium, Christchurch
1 Mar - 4th ODI, McLean Park, Napier
4 Mar - 5th ODI, (D/N), Eden Park, Auckland
9-13 Mar - First Test (Auckland)
17-21 Mar - Second Test (Wellington)
25-29 Mar - Third Test (Napier)

President's Cup
2 October - Jamaica v Leeward Islands
Trinidad & Tobago v Windward Islands
Barbados v Guyana

3 October - Windward Islands v Jamaica
Barbados vs Trinidad & Tobago

4 October - Leeward Islands v Guyana

5 October - Trinidad & Tobago v Leeward Islands

6 October - Jamaica v Guyana
Windward Islands v Barbados

7 October - Windward Islands v Guyana

8 October - Leeward Islands v Barbados
Jamaica v Trinidad & Tobago

9 October - Leeward Islands v Windward Islands
Jamaica v Barbados
Guyana v Trinidad & Tobago

12 October - Team A v Team D (semi-final 1)

14 October - Team B v Team C (semi-final 2)

16 October - Final