ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Brian Lara Stadium will host an international involving England for the first time when the world champions tour the Caribbean next December for a money-spinning, eight-match white-ball series.

The venue, located in Tarouba in south Trinidad, will stage the final two fixtures of the five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series on December 19 and 21, Cricket West Indies announced Tuesday.

Only last year, the stadium hosted its first-ever international when West Indies went down to India by 68 runs in the opening T20I of that five-match series.

Kensington Oval in Barbados will host the opening T20 International on December 12 before the series moves to the National Stadium in Grenada for the second and third T20I on December 14 and 16.

The tour will get underway with One-Day Internationals (ODIs) at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua on December 4 and 6, with Kensington Oval staging the third and final ODI on December 9.

“We are delighted to be able to confirm the England match schedule and to welcome once again their many travelling fans to the region for a pre-Christmas white-ball tour,” said CWI chief executive Johnny Grave.

“This tour will be a major economic boost to the host countries, as well as providing our fans with the chance to see some of their favourite players in action against one of our biggest rivals.

“The tour will also help with our ongoing venue preparation and event planning for one of the biggest events ever to be staged in the region, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which takes place in June next year.

“We also look forward to announcing the fixtures and venues for the India tour of the West Indies in July and August very soon.”

England toured the Caribbean last year January for a five-match T20I series which the hosts captured 3-2, and then returned in March for a three-match Test series which they lost 1-0.

England are the reigning ODI and T20I World champions while West Indies are ranked seventh in T20Is and ninth in ODIs.