In case you were wondering, the Super Sixes sees each team plays three more games against the countries who qualified from the other group. There are two points for a win and one for a tie or no result and the top two will go through to compete in the final on 22 March, with the others taking part in play-offs for third, fourth etc.

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Pakistan were weak opposition in their final game, with England winning by eight wickets, so Edwards's side has yet to be genuinely tested in this tournament

England's last two games have been played at the North Sydney Oval, which is a picturesque ground with palm trees peeking out from behind green tin roofed stands, one of which - the Bob Stand - used to be at the SCG.

It's a small ground, but it has an historic feel. With it's picket fence and grassy hill, it's the sort of place you wish you could watch cricket all the time. It must also be one of very few grounds in the world with a stand named after a female player.

The Molly Dive stand honours the former Australia women's captain who played seven Tests between 1948 and 1951. One of the ends, meanwhile, is named after the giant fig tree, whose thick, gnarled branches lean over the outfield like a kindly grandfather.

During England's game against India the crowd swelled as the day went on. There wasn't the 1,300-odd who watched Australia lose to New Zealand two days earlier, but a band of England supporters started up some good humoured Barmy Army chants and a number of India fans beat a catchy rhythm on the Dohl drums, creating an atmospheric buzz which the players seemed to enjoy.

Many commentators who have not watched top level women's cricket for some time have been impressed by the standard on display here, not least Pakistan great Wasim Akram, who admits to being genuinely surprised by the top teams.

For me, seamers are bowling faster and with better direction than four years ago, the fielding is faster and sharper - fewer relay throws are being employed - and the quality of some of the timing and stroke play of some of the batters is a joy to watch.

England's Claire Taylor is something of a run machine and I'm looking forward to watching Australia's Karen Rolton from close quarters. Then there's Rolton's 18-year-old team mate Ellyse Perry who grabbed headlines by hitting a straight six into the stands at the MCG during a Twenty20 game against England last year.

No arguments about small boundaries there.

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As usual, we'd love to hear whether you agree or disagree.

Owais Shah - 6
Ian Bell's misfortune should have been Owais Shah's gain, but his injudicious running between the wickets (Antigua) and poor shot selection (Trinidad) leaves the number three problem unsolved.

Kevin Pietersen - 6 and a half
Was labelled "Dumbslog Millionaire" after giving his first-innings wicket away at Sabina Park three runs short of a century. Was uncharacteristically subdued for the remainder of the series, although his final-day century at Trinidad set up an enthralling finish.

Paul Collingwood - 7
Has the knack of scoring centuries whenever his Test place is under threat and two in the series, plus a 96, is an excellent answer to his critics. Will be livid, however, after missing two catches at first slip in Trinidad - although he redeemed himself by holding on to a belter in the second innings.

Matt Prior - 6 and a half
Justified his recall for the Trinidad Test with a century after missing the previous game to fly home to see his his first child. A total of 74 extras in the West Indies first innings (and setting a new Test record of 52 byes conceded in the match) showed he is still not the finished article as a keeper.

Ian Bell - 4
The selectors' patience finally wore thin after two failures In Jamaica. Typically, looked in excellent touch during the first innings, but poor shot selection and concentration contributed to his demotion.

Ravi Bopara - 7
Made the most of his opportunity in Barbados by hitting a maiden Test hundred after being dropped on four and bowled as well as could be expected on a flat track. Was unlucky to lose his place for the final game.

Andrew Flintoff - 6
Once again a constant threat with the ball in hand, despite picking up only five wickets at an average of 30. Had he been fully fit in the West Indies second innings in Antigua, England may well have levelled the series, although his batting form remains a worry.

James Anderson - 7 and a half
On roti-flat pitches, Anderson's tally of wickets did not reflect the effort he put in, and his reverse swing nearly won the Trinidad Test for England. Once again he showed he is arguably the best fast-bowling outfielder England have ever had.

Stuart Broad - 8
Used his height to find the ideal line and length to trouble the West Indian top order and dismissed the immovable Shivnarine Chanderpaul on three occasions. England hope his consistency continues throughout the summer.

Steve Harmison - 4
For a bowler who decimated the West Indies on his previous visit to the Caribbean in 2004, Harmison lacked rhythm and consistency. Could the Antigua Test be his final Test appearance for England?

Graeme Swann - 8 and a half (STAR MAN)
Fully justified his inclusion as England's first-choice spinner. Bowled beautifully for his 19 wickets, mixing up his deliveries and managed to turn the ball more than opposite number Sulieman Benn, despite a floating piece of bone around his right elbow.

Monty Panesar - 5 and a half
Infuriatingly inconsistent when England needed him at his best. Was rightly dropped after Sabina Park, but bowled with more menace on his return in Trinidad and showed encouraging signs of variation and some improvement in his fielding. Will need to up his game when Australia tour this summer.

Tim Ambrose - 6
Did everything asked of him when he stepped in for Matt Prior in Barbados. A spritely 76 with the bat while his keeping was tidy behind the stumps ensured the selectors' decision to revert to Prior in Trinidad was not an easy one.

Ryan Sidebottom - 4
With just one wicket to show from 59 overs, this tour was a big disappointment for the Notts left-armer. Looked ordinary because the ball refused to swing for him and his lack of pace was inviting for the West Indian batsmen.

Amjad Khan - 5
Took the wicket of Ramnaresh Sarwan on his Test debut in Trinidad, but sprayed the ball around striving for too much pace while bowling a number of no-balls. Showed signs of reverse swing, but needs to concentrate on accuracy.

If you'd asked me just two months ago which team would win this summer's eagerly awaited Ashes series, I would have said England, indifferent performances in recent series and the upheaval caused by the Kevin Pietersen-Peter Moores rift notwithstanding.

At that point in time, Australia had just suffered their first home series defeat for 16 years, going down 2-1 to South Africa, with the Proteas to making 414-4, the second highest successful run chase in Test history, to win the first Test in Perth.

When Marcus North made a debut century to help them win the opening match of the return series in Johannesburg, I took the view that 'one swallow doesn't make a summer' - and especially an Ashes summer.

The performances of Phillip Hughes, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus in Durban have shown, however, that Australia will have an entire flight of swallows (there's your answer) winging their way towards England.

And judging by the way fast bowlers Johnson worked over Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis in the first innings, one or two of them are mutated swallows with a taste for blood.

Undoubtedly, 20-year-old Hughes still has plenty to prove, even though he is now the youngest player to score two centuries in the same match, and Australia are still no nearer to finding a spin bowling successor to Shane Warne, the second highest wicket-taker in Test history.

But watching the TV pictures from Durban, one could only admire the speed and remorseless accuracy of Siddle, Hilfenhaus and Johnson, the first two having only eight Test caps between them, plus the latter's naked 90mph hostility, which resulted in Smith suffering a broken finger and Kallis's jawline being split open when he was struck by a superbly directed bouncer.

If all that isn't enough to cause worry beads to appear on the collective brow of the Barmy Army, remember too that Stuart Clark, England's nemesis in the 2006-07 Ashes, and Brett Lee are recuperating from injury and will be desperate to reclaim their places from the new breed this summer.

Will England be able to fight fire with fire? That will depend on whether Andrew Flintoff's body stands up to the demands of a five-match series and whether whoever becomes the team's new head coach can somehow galvanise Steve Harmison.

One thing is for certain - and it's a lesson Amjad Khan might want to take on board after his England debut in Trinidad - Johnson, Siddle and Hilfenhaus don't waste energy spraying the ball around, a fact acknowledged by South Africa skipper Smith.

"Australia kept us under pressure for long periods. We have got to be honest, take it on the chin and bounce back as soon as possible," he admitted - though Kallis will doubtless wish to avoid 'taking it on the chin' again from Johnson in the near future.

The challenge for Australia's tearaway trio is to maintain that predatory instinct when both mind and body are weary and the playing surface is unresponsive - like those served up by West Indies for the series against England.

But Ponting was not worrying about that when he declared: "We have not given South Africa an inch and I'm as happy as I have ever been in my career."

Whatever the result in the final Test in Cape Town, the gauntlet has now been well and truly thrown down, put in a box and sent by international courier to Lord's.

It is now up to England to meet the challenge.

In fact, the women's World Cup first took place back in 1973 and this is the ninth tournament, but it's the first under the auspices of the International Cricket Council, who took over the running of the game in 2005, following a merger with the International Women's Cricket Council.

As in the UK, however, the newspapers and news channels here in Australia are full of the repercussions of the attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore. The attack has had a profound effect on every member of the cricket community, and the world's leading women cricketers are no exception.

The captains of both the Pakistan and Sri Lanka women's sides spoke to the press today as part of planned media activity.

Reporters were keen to ask some simple questions about how they felt about the attack, particularly after hearing how many of the Sri Lanka men's team have worked closely with the women, offering coaching advice.

Unfortunately, we were told by team management not to ask anything relating to the Lahore attack and the players themselves had been told not to comment. However, the message obviously hadn't reached former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy, who hosted a Q&A with the captains as part of the ICC Welcome Ceremony later in the day at Luna Park.

The first thing he asked in front of a room full of people was how news of the attack had affected them. Both answered thoughtfully and eloquently, making reporters wonder why we had not been allowed to pose a similar question earlier.

Shashikala Siriwardene of Sri Lanka said they were shocked, and admitted that to begin with, it had made them scared for their own safety here in Sydney. She then went on to say that their thoughts were with all those wounded or killed in the attack.

Pakistan captain Urooj Mumtaz Khan - a forthright, likeable character, judging by first impressions - added similar sentiments but stressed the need for their national team to continue playing, whether it be away from home or at neutral venues.

Pakistan's women are at this World Cup for only the second time and it is crucial they continue to play matches against top cricketing nations if they are to continue their development.

West Indies pulled out of a tour only recently on security grounds, and the Lahore attack now means Pakistan's women are going to be even more reliant on overseas trips to find the competition they need.

Tours cost money, but it's something the Pakistan Cricket Board are going to have to find funds for if their women's team are to appear at future World Cups.

As for the cricket, it all starts on Friday night UK time, with England playing Sri Lanka and Pakistan in action against India from 2300 GMT.

I'll be providing live updates every half an hour on Radio Five Live, with other reports on the World Service, Radio One, Radio 4 and the Asian Network.

The eight countries are split into two groups of four who all play each other once (Group A: Aus, NZ, SA, WI / Group B: Eng, Ind, SL, Pkn). The top three in each group progress to the Super Sixes, from where the top two teams play-off in the final on 22 March at North Sydney Oval.

The top four nations are defending champions Australia, England, India and New Zealand. However, the gap between the top four and the rest is much narrower than it was four years ago when I covered the last World Cup in South Africa.

The fact that women's cricket is now managed by each country's cricket board means it is run more professionally and there is more financial backing across all teams, evident in the number of backroom staff here who simply didn't exist four years ago.

England, led by Charlotte Edwards, have gone undefeated in their last 14 ODIs and have a great chance of winning here but Australia, in their own back yard, are favourites to lift the Trophy for a sixth time.

The start of the World Cup is finally here. This is something I have been building up to for the last five months since being selected, dreaming and thinking about it every spare moment and I am really excited.

We left Heathrow on 19 February with the one goal of staying awake for the 11-hour flight between London and Bangkok and sleeping on the second leg to Sydney. This was intended to help us cope with the different time zones - but I found it hard to avoid dropping off and had to put up with 'Crumpy', our strength and conditioning coach, poking in me in the ear to wake me up again.

Once we arrived in Australia, we caught up with the England girls who had already been out here for a while playing grade cricket and then went to support them in their last game - as well as checking out some of the Aussie players we might be facing in the World Cup.

But the moment I had been looking forward to was getting out onto grass for our first practice. I had built it up in my head to be the best net session I had ever taken part in and it turned out to be.....absolutely awful! I couldn't work it out. A few days before I felt like hot stuff training in Guildford, but now I couldn't time a ball to save my life.

They were right. Over the next few days I too every opportunity to face bowling or throw-downs in the nets and eventually things started to feel right again.

We had three games lined up before the World Cup against New South Wales Breakers, Australia and West Indies and it was great to play in the first as I hadn't been out on the field running around since our training camp in Bangalore last November. I had learnt so much in India, including fielding tips from former South Africa coach Ray Jennings, and was eager to try it all out - I couldn't wait.

The Breakers batted first but 'Nunny' (Katherine Brunt), our opening bowler, was on top form, finding a perfect line and length and moving it off the pitch. We gelled as a unit, managed to dismiss them for 99 and managed to knock off the runs comfortably.

Afterwards, it was time for the dreaded ice baths. They are something I dislike, but I'm fully aware that every little percentage helps us towards our ultimate goal of reaching the World Cup final on 22 March.

We were given the next day off, possibly the only one for the whole tour, so some of us decided to head to Bondi Beach. The waves were fierce, but the weather was nice and hot, so it was a real fun treat.

Game two was a much tougher challenge, playing Australia, the World Cup holders. We knew not to expect too much as it was only our second match together and some of us were still acclimatising. They made 214 batting first, with Alex Blackwell making 91 not out, but we were delighted to get Australian captain Karen Rolton lbw for a first-ball duck.

We started our innings well and Lottie (Charlotte Edwards) made 72 and at 150-5, the game was set up nicely, but a few silly run-outs meant we were all out for 189. We were absolutely gutted, having laid the foundations for a good, solid win.

This was a massive wake-up call for the girls. We know we're a good side, but we can't afford mistakes like giving away wickets with run-outs. Still, it was a good lesson to learn before the start of the real competition and we bounced back yesterday with a 116-run victory over West Indies.

We start the tournament against Sri Lanka on Saturday and now that the batters and bowlers have all had time in the middle, we are confident we can do well in the first round.

The Test Match Special team were on the same flight from Barbados to Trinidad as the England team and it soon became clear, when we arrived early at the airport, that the players were very much in a state of shock after hearing of the terrible events overnight.

Stuart told us that his father had called him at 2am to tell him he was OK. "He told me he had seen sights he wished he would never have to see." said the younger Broad. "It was all very blurred as the attack had only taken place an hour before when I spoke with him. But he told me his driver had been shot and killed and two other people in his vehicle had got shot. He sort of lay in cover while the carnage happened."

Hugh Morris, the England managing director, was also at the airport. There rarely seems a day that goes by on an England tour when we don't look to Morris to react to a major cricketing story, but this event was clearly deeply disturbing. "I'm shocked and stunned," he said. "It's an outrage we are all appalled at." He went on to tell us he'd been in contact with Sri Lanka's assistant coach, Englishmen Paul Farbrace, to see how he was after being injured in the attack, as well as offering sympathy to all those others effected by the incident.

England coach Andy Flower described the events in Lahore as "a sad day for Pakistan". He said: "There won't be cricket being played there for a very long time to come. Not just for cricketers but for any human beings this has been a shocking day."

The sombre mood around the England camp reflected concerns about fellow international cricketers, many of whom have become friends. We heard during the day that Andrew Flintoff, back in England, had immediately contacted his Lancashire team-mate Muttiah Muralitharan to see if he was OK.

But the mood also reflected the fact that players will in future not just have to worry about being caught up in potential terrorist incidents, but may well become the target of them.

Jonathan Agnew went straight onto Five Live Sport as we landed at Port of Spain having spent the flight speaking to players. He reflected that the landscape of Test cricket has changed. "The day has dawned that we hoped never would. We always hoped that cricketers would never be the targets but today they feel vulnerable," he said.

Chatting to players, officials and other media throughout the day we recalled that most of us have been in security cavalcades to grounds like the Gaddafi Stadium. Most of us recognised exactly where the attacks happened and we also knew many of those involved personally. We also recognised that although the incident was horrific, it could have been even worse.

We expected when we arrived in Port of Spain that most talk would be about whether England would pick Shah or Bopara, Ambrose or Prior or whether they'd play five bowlers or four on Friday.

But after what took place in Pakistan, such issues don't seem particularly important at the moment.

There certainly will be quite a contrast between where TMS was broadcast from in Antigua and our surroundings at the Kensington Oval.

The late move to the Antigua Recreation ground meant we were located in a makeshift commentary box which clearly had seen better days.

Although it has to be said that the people at the ground could not have done any more to help us feel comfortable, even though they clearly had much more important priorities to work on ... like getting the rest of the stadium ready for an international fixture with a day's notice!...

Here in Barbados we are housed in the magnificent new media centre at the refurbished Kensington Oval which is among others named after our legendary West Indies commentator Tony Cozier. We get fantastic views from our vantage point on the fourth floor not only of the ground but also of downtown Bridgetown and beyond.

This is only my second visit to the Kensington Oval. Two years ago I was here for the farcical World Cup final which provided a fitting climax to a tournament which will not be remembered fondly except by the Australians, who of course lifted the trophy.

After the officials inexplicably failed to interpret the rules correctly we ended up playing out a game in almost total darkness.

My overriding memory of that day was just after the last ball was bowled I went straight out onto the field to try and get some post match interviews.

It was quite literally pitch black out there to the extent that as I walked onto the field I failed to notice a group of performers on stilts almost walking straight into me!

They were part of a closing ceremony which sadly no-one saw because no proper lighting had been organised. It was that sort of evening.

Anyway let's hope things run smoothly this week.

As well as bringing you ball by ball commentary from 1330 on Thursday we also have lots of other interesting things for you.

During the lunch interval on the opening day of the match you'll be able to hear Jonathan Agnew's extensive interview with Giles Clarke, who despite the controversy over the Stanford affair has this week been confirmed as ECB chairman for another two years.

You will also be able to hear a fascinating chat with the man who represents the England players , PCA chief executive Sean Morris, who will have among other things the latest news on Andrew Flintoff and the IPL.

Other highlights include an interview with England's bowling coach Ottis Gibson who is of course originally from here in Barbados.

He'll be telling us about his debut for the island where he had the honour to open the bowling alongside West Indies and Barbados legend Malcolm Marshall.

Gibson's first four overs went for 28 runs, but he remembers getting sympathetic advice from Marshall. He now tries to offer similar words of wisdom to England's fast bowling attack.

Gladstone Small, another Barbados born fast bowler who went on to help England, will also be joining us in the Test Match Special box to share his memories of growing up here and helping to debate while so few recent England players come from the Caribbean community in the UK.

Other guests we are expecting include two of England's most successful spin bowlers Derek Underwood and Phil Tufnell - and as always who knows which other people may wander into the box over the next five days.

So join us from Thursday afternoon - and don't forget to check out the daily TMS podcast with Jonathan Agnew and Geoff Boycott.

It's difficult to believe that seven days ago we were preparing for the second Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, and a week later the third Test down the road at the Antigua Recreation Ground against all the odds turned into one of the most gripping matches in recent times.

Although quite rightly the recriminations will go on for months about the fiasco last Friday, there is no doubt that those who worked so hard to get this game on at the ARG deserve tremendous credit. Perhaps it was written in the stars that this match would be one we'll remember for years to come.

As far as Test Match Special is concerned, although the build-up to the game could hardly be described as straightforward, it has been a fairly typical affair in the TMS box with the usual mix of fascinating visitors, plenty of good banter and of course the obligatory major cricket news story breaking during a day's play.

We even had a cake. On the first morning Richard and Janet Smith came to visit our makeshift commentary position to present the team with a fruit cake that they had brought to the Caribbean all the way from their home in Cumbria.

Our visitors included a surprise appearance from the Prime Minister of Antigua Baldwin Spencer. (You can hear our interview with him in our first day podcast)

We were also joined in the TMS box by former Northern Ireland football manager Bryan Hamilton and legendary West Indies fast bowlers Curtly Ambrose and Michael Holding.

Holding joined Jonathan Agnew on the second day after receiving a special cap on the outfield following his induction into the ICC Hall of fame, Holding is now, of course, a television broadcaster who always has strong opinions.

He revealed to TMS his annoyance at what happened at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. "In the past these things were swept under the carpet and already I've heard people say we've done really well to get this game on at the Antigua Recreation Ground so they are hoping that the events of Friday are forgotten.

"But people are laughing at us in the Caribbean. We can't afford that - it is time that ends. (you can hear the whole Michael Holding interview by the way if you download the second day podcast).

Fellow former fast bowler Curtly Ambrose joined Aggers at tea on the final day to talk about his memories of playing cricket here in Antigua, but also about his career these days travelling with his band "The Big Bad Dread and The Bald Head" for which he describes himself as the tallest bass player in the world.

Ambrose told Aggers about his amazing journey to being a top-class international cricketer. "When I was growing up basketball and football were my first loves. Cricket was way down the agenda, but my mother kept banging my ears saying I've got to play cricket. I got fed up of the nagging so I gave it a go."

Curtly then revealed how he was self-taught as a bowler and took only four years from playing for his village in Antigua to representing the West Indies. "I never went anywhere to be coached, it was all just natural." Of course, his mum famously used to ring a bell outside her house whenever Curtly took a wicket. No matter what time of day or night.

As well as interesting visitors to the box, no recent Test Match Special broadcast would be complete without a major breaking cricket news story. This match of course coincided with the news that the ECB has suspended negotiations with Sir Allen Stanford after the billionaire was charged with fraud. ECB chairman Giles Clarke wasted no time in appearing on the programme to explain the ECB's position. But the cricketing side of this story did not seem quite so important when we heard that there were hundreds of worried Antiguans lining up outside banks at the Stanford ground and throughout the island frantically withdrawing money from their accounts.

On a much lighter note there has also been plenty of entertaining banter amongst our commentary team. From Jonathan Agnew bemoaning that unlike Sir Viv Richards and Geoff Boycott he doesn't have anything named after him, although TMS listeners quickly revealed a hamster and a Campbell drake both share the name "Aggers", to a fantastic exchange between Jonathan and Boycott on the opening morning of the match.

After England's openers had successfully negotiated the first session Boycott told Aggers "this pitch is so flat it's the sort of track that if I was out there batting I'd tell the numbers three and four to go off to the cinema for the afternoon and watch a John Wayne film".

Aggers replied quickly "there's a lot more shots in a John Wayne film than when you were batting."

Well, perhaps the rushed relocation of the Antigua Test match from the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to the Antigua Recreation Ground is a blessing in disguise.

The last 24 hours have certainly demonstrated what can be achieved when people pull together to try and solve a problem.

I remember turning up at the ARG a week ago to watch England practise and being struck by the unique atmosphere of the old ground, even though some parts of it are well past their best.

Not for a moment did any of us imagine that a few days later we would be back at the ground to watch an impromptu Test match.

However, when I arrived at the stadium on Saturday morning I found out that the local telecommunications engineers had been working through the night to install our lines.

Our commentary box is at the back of the press box and it is fair to say it has seen better days, but when I arrived to take a look I was greeted by numerous locals who had been employed to clean, paint and repair the facilities so that broadcasts can be made in relative comfort.

More importantly, lots of people had also been working through the night to make the pitch and outfield as good as they possibly could be and to make sure the seating for the frustrated spectators would be safe come Sunday.

On Saturday evening, match referee Alan Hurst gave the stadium the go-ahead and we are told the first day at least will be a complete sell-out with the 8,000 England supporters expected to pack out the famous "double decker stand" and the grass verges, christened the "party stand" for this game.

We now have to hope for two things. Firstly, that the weather improves - there were torrential rain showers on Saturday afternoon and more rain is expected this week. The people here deserve good weather after the hard work they have put in.

Secondly, we hope the pitch holds up and that some of the predictions of a "lively surface" make for an exciting match rather than another farce. I know everyone has done what all can and the players from both sides have shown great understanding to get this fixture on.

Perhaps the reason the island has rallied so quickly to make this game possible is that many locals believe Test cricket is returning to its rightful home in Antigua.

It is not only the problems with the playing area at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium which have made the venue unpopular, it is also the fact that the ground is inaccessible to many Antiguans.

It is perhaps an exaggeration to say the new ground is in the middle of nowhere but talking to the people here, they want to watch their cricket in the heart of St John's and would have happily swapped the plush new stadium for a return to the Recreation Ground even before Friday's fiasco.

It now looks likely that a ground which had become more of a football stadium could against all the odds return as Antigua's main international cricket venue.

It certainly promises to be a special atmosphere when Test Match Special goes on the air at 1345 on Five Live Sports Extra and just before the start of play on Radio Four Long wave. As well as ball-by-ball commentary, we hope to hear from the West Indies Cricket Board about what lessons will be learnt from this difficult week.

You will also be able to hear our interview with former England coach Peter Moores which we were due to play during lunch on Friday. Moores will be telling us his thoughts on his time with England and his hopes for his new job as head coach at Lancashire.

We'll be hearing from Martin Bodenham who, after time as a FIFA football referee, is about to begin work as a first class umpire. And we'll have a special report on cricketers from a Caribbean background in English cricket and ask why, after the success of the likes of Phil Defreitas, Alex Tudor, Devon Malcolm and Gladstone Small to name but four, so few players from the West Indian community seem to be breaking through in the English game.

Jonathan Agnew will, of course, be leading our team again with Christopher Martin Jenkins, Tony Cozier, Vic Marks, Geoff Boycott and - if he's calmed down yet - Sir Vivian Richards. Don't forget that after play each day you will be able to download the Test Match Special podcast.

Finally Aggers mentioned to me at breakfast that a thought had struck him in the middle of the night. Friday, the day of the 10-ball Test match, was of course also the day when the funeral was held for Bill Frindall who very sadly died a fortnight ago.

All our thoughts are obviously with his widow Debbie and his family. But Aggers said to me: "You know Bill would always delight in telling us he was born on the first day of the famous "timeless Test" -the longest ever match between England and South Africa in Durban in 1939 which lasted 10 days.

"Well," continued Aggers "it just had to be the case that Bill's funeral was held on the day of the shortest ever Test."

I think Bill would rather have liked that.

It was only the second time in Test history that a match was abandoned on the opening day. Back in 1998, the Jamaica Test lasted 10.1 overs, but here in Antigua we only managed 10 balls at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

It just so happened that Sir Viv himself was on the air on Test Match Special at the moment the game reached its premature climax - and unsurprisingly he was not a happy man.

"This is not a little curry goat match as we call it, this is not a little festival match, this is a Test match and you can hear it in my voice that these guys have done us not that proud in my opinion. Those who've been given the responsibility to put on a good show here have failed again. It's a really tough pill to swallow. This is an arrow right through my heart."

The long-term future of the ground as a Test venue is now in serious doubt - Donald Peters, the chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board, told us he thought the days were numbered for the Sir Vivian Richards stadium.

"I would recommend they play soccer there from now on. The amount of funding it would take to make that into a Test venue again will be significant. I would advise the government and local cricket association to put their resources into restoring the Recreation Ground. The West Indies Cricket Board will not go back to the Viv Richards Stadium. We are not prepared to take the risk."

It is ironic that a lot of the local cricket fans and journalists had spent the previous few days bemoaning the fact that the Test match in Antigua was not being played at the Recreation Ground. It was there where Brian Lara broke the world Test record not once, but twice, and where England did the bulk of their practice for the match.

Although only 10 balls were bowled, it was a chaotic day for Test Match Special as myself, Jonathan Agnew and reporter Arlo White ran around the ground and then around the island to find out exactly what was going on. As the players left the field, I went onto the outfield to try and secure an interview with match referee Alan Hurst. Cruelly CMJ commented from the TMS box: "There goes our producer Adam Mountford - he's not exactly Usain Bolt." Harsh perhaps, but undoubtedly accurate!

When news reached us a delegation was on its way to the Recreation Ground, Arlo quickly followed and was able to reveal first to BBC listeners the news the game had been rearranged. Then, after reporting the dramatic developments, we all hot-footed it over there to try and find a location where we can commentate from on Sunday.

It was like the preparations for a local carnival with hundreds of people working non-stop to try and sort things out for what will now be the third Test. Hopefully our broadcast lines can be installed in time for the start of the game!

Although the change of location is obviously a huge embarrassment for West Indies cricket and a logistical nightmare for TV and radio organisations trying to cover the game, the people I feel sorry for are the spectators. We spoke to Ian from Sussex on Five Live who, after taking 45 minutes to get into the ground because, ludicrously, only two gates were open, then saw just one delivery bowled before the game was called off.

"I saw Alastair Cook get off the mark. It was a nice shot but I was hoping to see a bit more," he told us. "I'm so disappointed. I've been excited for months about seeing the cricket here. And we didn't get any information about what was going on. We still don't really know what happened."

There are 8,000 England fans on the island who share Ian's disappointment. Many of them could only be here for the first couple of days and will therefore not be able to see any meaningful cricket.

Let's hope that for all those who can stick around until Sunday that the match goes ahead without any other dramas, although I doubt Sir Viv will have calmed down by then! Listen to TMS from 1345 Sunday to find out.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would witness a Test match being abandoned after just 10 deliveries, but that is what happened at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, a turn of events which left a bitter taste in many mouths here in Antigua, not just mine.

My parting comment before I left the office was: "Feel free to call me if a sensational story breaks while I'm out there." Next time, I'll have to choose my words more carefully!

Cricket crowds are, traditionally, more patient than those in many other sports - yet after eight balls of play, a rain delay and then just two more deliveries, fans around me showed clear frustration when Fidel Edwards ran in for the third or fourth time without delivering the ball, pointing to a problem with his run-up.

"Get on with it, Fidel", came the cries from those who did not realise what was about to occur.

The frustration around me in the South Stand grew as the umpires, captains and match referee consulted. Music continued to belt out from the Party Stand, while some of its inhabitants took a dip in the pitchside pool - but despite the Caribbean sunshine, those of us up in the stands were very firmly "in the dark" as a slow handclap began.

Friday's local papers here had warned of the possible problems with the outfield - and it eventually became clear that the game was up when the players walked off. I saw one fan buttonhole Andrew Strauss as he walked up to the players' balcony, asking what was happening - while Nasser Hussain and a Sky cameraman were waiting to pounce on the officials as soon as their deliberations were concluded.

Still, however, the public address system remained silent and I actually learned that the game had been abandoned via a text message from a friend in London! It was more than half an hour after play was halted that a garbled announcement was made to the paying spectators.

One England fan I spoke to compared the wall of silence to that experienced by the Oval crowd at the Test forfeited by Pakistan in 2006, when the fans were similarly kept out of the loop as events unfolded.

As we all trooped disconsolately out of the stadium, "what happens next?" became the topic of conversation. The possibility of a move to the Antigua Recreation Ground or Sir Allen Stanford's ground next to the airport or instead scheduling back-to-back Tests in Barbados were all debated, as was one wild theory which suggested the ARG's bowlers' run-ups would be dug up to a depth of eight inches, then transported to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and flattened into the existing run-ups with a heavy roller...

As it turns out, we'll all be off to the ARG on Sunday - although an English couple I spoke to, who had visited the old ground yesterday, felt the outfield there was in no shape for Test cricket either, having been used recently for football - so clearly the ground staff will have their work cut out over the next 24 hours.

After such a fiasco, the repercussions for Antigua could be long-lasting. On the way back to the hotel, our tour bus driver spoke of "shame" and "embarrassment" at how things could go so wrong, considering the huge financial importance of a home Test against England to the local economy. We also listened to a local radio phone-in, with some angry Antiguans demanding that the island's cricket officials should resign en masse.

Intriguingly, Antigua is currently awash with election fever, with flags, bunting and posters of the various candidates adorning every lamp-post, telegraph pole and street corner, and some of the locals I spoke to felt the events of this particular Friday the 13th could yet become an election issue.

So, two things have become clear - firstly, if the West Indies Cricket Board thought they had put the logistical problems of the last World Cup aside, they may have to think again.

And secondly, as a journalist, I've learned that you're never really on holiday...

Well, I say 'current star' - maybe Jerome Taylor and Chris Gayle have a pretty good claims on that title after inspiring West Indies to a famous victory.

Man of the Match Taylor was the hero of an incredible final afternoon's cricket, taking 5-11, with captain Gayle having helped lay the foundation for victory earlier in the match with his first Test hundred on his home ground.

It was a great sight to see Gayle hugging Bolt at the end of the game as hundreds of Jamaican cricket fans swarmed onto the outfield.

Bolt certainly enjoyed his day at the cricket. The double Olympic champion, who became world famous after his record-breaking performances in Beijing, told Test Match Special: "I certainly picked the right day to come to watch."

Every time an English wicket fell, Bolt leapt from his chair in celebration - but he also told us how, in different circumstances, he could have been out there playing: "I was a good fast bowler as a youngster. I was quick and I also batted. I was actually good at it. But my cricket coach introduced me to track and field as he thought I was pretty quick and so I continued doing that."

Although brought up in Jamaica, it was not local fast bowlers like Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding who were Bolt's early cricket heroes.

"The person I looked up to was Waqar Younis because he had a great in-swinging yorker. He was wonderful. Pakistan was my team when I was six when I started watching cricket. I enjoyed watching them play," he revealed.

Botl does not stray from home, however, when looking for heroes in the current West Indies team. He continued: "Chris Gayle is my favourite player because when I was younger I was an aggressive batsman. That's how Chris Gayle plays. I really enjoy watching him play cricket."

Life has been "hectic", according to Bolt, since Beijing. "I don't even like to go out onto the streets sometimes because I can't get anything done. People want pictures and autographs all the time."

But despite all the attention, he is not ready to leave. "I decided to stay because I'm a mama's boy, I have to live close to my mother," he said.

As for future plans, there are reports he is planning to compete in the 400 metres at London 2012 and he admitted: "We're looking at that. Next season I'll probably start but I'm looking forward to it."

Many assume he is contemplating the switch in distance so he can try and break another Michael Johnson world record, having already beaten his 200m mark, but Bolt insisted: "I really don't think about records I just go out there and try to do my best."

But is there any chance of a return to the cricket field by the fastest man on the planet? "I was talking to Chris Gayle and I was telling him one day I'll have to get him in the nets and bowl him a few balls and show him that I was pretty good back in the days," Bolt laughed.

Next up for Gayle, however, is the second Test in Antigua and Test Match Special will be back on air on Friday the 13th - not a date England would have chosen as they look to improve their fortunes.

We'll be on the air from 1330 GMT on Five Live Sports Extra, Radio Four Long wave and on-line - and don't forget the Test Match Special podcast after each days play..

No doubt there will be the same split in opinion we witnessed when he tried to hit Paul Harris for six at Edgbaston to reach his hundred, and hit a catch down long-on's throat. On that occasion former players were fiercely critical while a healthy number of cricket fans were happy to rejoice in his innings.

Well, it has happened again and although Pietersen tried to shrug it off by saying that it is the way he plays, the thunderous look on his face as he stormed off the field before the catch had even been taken said it all.

The fact is that he has now missed out on two Test centuries which, with just a little circumspection, he would have achieved and that must hurt.

If that shot lacked tactical nous, Chris Gayle's performance in the field in the final session was utterly bizarre.

Having dominated much of the day with Benn, the left-arm spinner, bowling 33 overs on the trot, he then set no fewer than three men on the hook for Andrew Flintoff, and two short mid-wickets!

It really was impossible to work out what the West Indian captain was thinking, and rather than battling under pressure, Flintoff - who had also been the model of patience - and Prior were able to negotiate the final half an hour with ease.

The first instance of a player referral in a match involving England occurred during the afternoon when Gayle asked for an lbw decision against Paul Collingwood to be looked at by the third umpire.

The whole process took two-and-a-half minutes when, in fact, it should have taken a lot less.

The first replay down the pitch showed us that the ball had struck Collingwood outside the off-stump - although not by much - but for some reason Darryl Harper took a long time relaying the information to Rudi Koertzen in the middle. Hopefully more practice will speed everything up a bit.

It is difficult to gauge what a good score is on this pitch.

Very slow, the amount of early spin has taken everyone by surprise to the extent that both teams might regret not playing a second spinner.

Certainly a large first innings would give England a huge advantage, and they would consider 350 to be a good start.

Andrew Strauss - a calm, phlegmatic man - is the ideal character to heal wounds, and he will have been cheered by a light-hearted and impromptu moment in his press conference when he stumbled repeatedly over the word "ship-shape", which he was using to describe the result of his efforts to restore team unity.

Hoots of laughter immediately erupted from the back of the room at the captain's embarrassment.

The culprits? Flintoff, Harmison and, yes, Pietersen. Humour within the ranks appears to have been restored.

The IPL auction is due to be held on Friday - another example of the BCCI not giving a thought about anything else. Why on earth did they have to stage it in the middle of a Test match?

The players say it will not be a distraction, but can that really be the case when life-changing amounts of money might be made or lost? And what will the reaction be of those not lucky or good enough to be involved? Will it really be magnanimous?

Then there's the unhappiness at the 10% levy the counties have charged the players for going to India.

I am less sympathetic with Owais Shah, who is not on a central contract, and is paid by Middlesex. He, in my view, should pay compensation for having to be replaced for the time he is away.

But I do find it hard to see how Hampshire can really claim £45,000 from Kevin Pietersen, for example, for missing possibly only one match!

Victories will help reduce the chuntering, of course, and the recent record of the West Indies is so bad as to be almost unbelievable - just two wins and 19 defeats from their last 30 Tests.

Like England, they have not named their final XI in advance, but with Flintoff almost certain to return, Strauss's first overseas team will probably include Bell, Sidebottom and Panesar, and exclude Shah, Anderson and Swann.

This match is England's first under the experimental referral system in which bowlers and batsmen can appeal against the umpire's decisions. Only two incorrect referrals are allowed - and following this series, the ICC will decide whether or not to implement the system throughout Test cricket.

There are in-depth tributes written elsewhere on this site, so I will keep this brief and say rest in peace Bill. You made scoring an art form, and will be remembered as a legend.

As the youngest member of the BBC cricket team, I listened to Bill on the radio for many more years than I worked with him, but I feel lucky to have overlapped at least a few years with the Bearded Wonder.

During the second Test in Mohali, the start of play was delayed nearly every morning because of a wintery fog which clung to the ground like thick soup.

We could see nothing out of the commentary box window except a dense white blanket, and Bill delighted in picking up his binoculars and posing for me, staring out into the void. It was typical of his humour, and he will be greatly missed.