Cricket: Unrest may lead to switch from Guyana to Antigua

The West Indies Cricket Board will decide next week whether England's third Test with the West Indies will go ahead in Guyana, where political unrest after last month's elections has led to violence.

With opposition parties disputing the election results, large numbers of people are ignoring a government order banning street marches. Police have used tear gas and even fired indiscriminately into the crowds to disperse protesters.

A bomb exploded last week in the only major hotel in Georgetown, the capital of the state on the north coast of South America, has added to the tensions . The Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to Guyana.

The Guyanan Cricket Board, which is scheduled to stage the Test at Georgetown's Bourda ground, is holding a series of meetings with British High Commission representatives over the next few days before the decision is taken on whether the game start as planned on 27 February or whether it should be moved.

The GCB secretary, Bish Panday, said yesterday he was optimistic that the match will go ahead, but an alternative could be to take it to Antigua.