Biggest Cricket Stadiums in West Indies

 Biggest Cricket Stadiums in West Indies

This is a list of cricket grounds in West Indies. The list includes biggest grounds that have been used for Test, One Day International, Twenty20 International, first-class, cricket matches. Grounds that have hosted mens international cricket games are listed.

List of South Africa cricket grounds by capacity

Rank	Stadium	City	Capacity	First used
1	Kensington Oval	Bridgetown	28,000	1930
2	Bourda	Georgetown	25,000	1930
3	Queens Park Oval	Port of Spain	25,000	1930
4	National Cricket Stadium	St. Georges	20,000	2002
5	Arnos Vale Stadium	Kingstown	18,000	1997
6	Sabina Park Kingston	Jamaica	15,600	1930
7	Darren Sammy Cricket Ground	Gros Islet	15,000	2003
8	Antigua Recreation Ground	St. Johns	12,000	1981
9	Sir Vivian Richards Stadium	North Sound	10,000	2009
10	Windsor Park	Roseau	12,000	2011

1) Kensington Oval, Bridgetown

The Kensington Oval is a stadium located to the west of the capital city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. It is the pre-eminent sporting facility on the island and is primarily used for cricket. Locally referred to as "The Mecca" of cricket,it has hosted many important and exciting cricket games between local, regional, and international teams during its more than 120-year history.

Cricket at the Oval began in 1882 when the Pickwick Cricket Club assumed formal ownership of the ground.[5] The first international match held was in 1895 when Slade Lucas side visited the island. The first Test match was held in January 1930, when the West Indies and England played to a draw. Since the genesis there have been a total of 43 Test matches played on the Kensington Oval grounds, 21 of those matches won by the West Indian cricket team. The new stadium has been commemorated through two 2007 Barbadian postage stamps

The stands of the Kensington Oval were extensively rebuilt for the 2007 Cricket World Cup in a BDS$90M (US$45 Million) redevelopment.[7] Demolition of the old stadium began on schedule in June, 2006 after completion of the first Test against Pakistan. Innotech Construction Inc. reconstructed the new Kensington Oval in late September into early October, 2006 and the team from the Barbados Light & Power Company cut down and removed some of the old utility poles at the traffic lights at the Holborn Circle, the entrances and exits of Fontabelle Road, Spring Garden Highway, Prescod Boulevard and Harbour Road and they planted new utility poles with electrical transmitters attached on to them. They also dug up, resurfaced and repaved Prescod Boulevard and Fontabelle Road just in time for Cricket World Cup 2007 in Barbados.

2) Bourda, Georgetown

Bourda or officially Georgetown Cricket Club Ground is a cricket ground in Georgetown, Guyana, used by the Guyanese cricket team for matches with other nations in the Caribbean as well as some Test matches involving the West Indies. The ground is one of the two cricket stadiums in the South American mainland and is uniquely surrounded by a moat for flood-prevention and drainage reasons.

The stadium is located in Bourda in Georgetown, Guyana between Regent Street and North Road, it is home to the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC). The ground is reminiscent of old baseball stadiums, due to its cantilever stands. The Ladies stand is notable, but the more modern, such as the Rohan Kanhai stand, blend in well. The liveliest part of the ground with the ubiquitous music and DJs is at The Mound, an unprotected area. The ground was dubbed "The Cornerstone" in 1930 after a game against visiting England.

Cricket matches between Trinidad and GCC were played there as early as 1883, and later between GCC and teams from Britain, in 1895 and 1897. It hosted its first Test in February 1930 against England, which the home side won by 289 runs and George Headley scored a century in each innings.

3) Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain

The Queens Park Oval is a sports stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, used mostly for cricket matches. It opened in 1896. Privately owned by the Queens Park Cricket Club, it is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies with seating for about 20,000.

It has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean with 60 as of January 2018, and also hosted a number of One-Day International (ODI) matches, including many World Series Cricket games in 1979 and matches of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The Trinidad and Tobago cricket team play most of their home matches at the ground, and it is the home ground of the Caribbean Premier League team Trinbago Knight Riders.

Considered by many players, journalists and critics as one of the most picturesque cricket venues,the ground first hosted a Test match in February 1930 when England toured the Caribbean, though it had previously hosted many first class tours as early as the 1897 tour under Lord Hawke.[2] The pavilion dates back to 1896, though there were extensive renovations in the 1950s and in 2007 prior to the World Cup and following an earthquake. The "Concrete Stand" was renamed the "Learie Constantine Stand" in recognition of that former West Indies cricketer. The first ODI match at the ground was played in March 1983, and the first Twenty20 International in 2009.

As well as the main cricket stadium, the facility includes a gym, indoor and outdoor cricket practice nets, two squash courts and two outdoor tennis courts. The cricket field has also been used to host several domestic and international football matches, and several music events.

4) National Cricket Stadium, St. Georges

The National Cricket Stadium, previously known as Queens Park, is the name of a cricket stadium complex on River Road, Grenada in the Caribbean. A Grenada cricket team first appeared in West Indian cricket in 1887 against a touring Gentlemen of America team at the old Queens Park.[3] Ten years later the team was recorded playing against Lord Hawkes touring team, though unlike several matches during the tour, this match did not have first-class status. In 1899, G. A. de Freitas and William Mignon became the first Grenada cricketers to play first-class cricket. The Newly rebuilt Queens Park Stadium was a location for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It became the 84th Test venue in 2002 when it hosted its first match between West Indies and New Zealand. As of 18 August 2014, two test matches have taken place at the Ground.

After being rebuilt in 2000, the new complex was damaged in September 2004 as a direct result from Hurricane Ivan.

The pitch is noted for being elongated towards the Pavilion end, giving a more baseball type look to the ground. The stadium was funded by the Peoples Republic of China.

5) Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown

The Arnos Vale Stadium is a cricket ground in Arnos Vale, near Kingstown, St. Vincent. The multi-use ground – part of Arnos Vale Sports Complex – is situated next to and to the west of the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

The stadium holds the capacity to accommodate 18,000 people and is mostly used for football and cricket matches.

The stadium hosted its first ever international game on 4 February 1981. The match was an ODI between West Indies and England and was a close encounter which the hosts won by two runs. It is the home ground of the Windward Islands. Its maiden Test match came in 1997, when the West Indies played Sri Lanka to a draw, with Sri Lanka finishing on 233–8 chasing a target of 269 runs. The second Test held at the ground, in 2009, saw Bangladesh record their maiden Test victory over the West Indies by 95 runs. At the time the West Indies were without many of their leading players due to a dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board, so seven Test debutantes featured in the West Indian team.

6) Sabina Park Kingston, Jamaica

Sabina Park is a cricket ground and the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica.

Sabina Park was originally a Pen (urban residence and adjoining land of a wealthy merchant, shopkeeper or professional),[2] part of which was eventually sold to the Kingston Cricket Club for their grounds. The entire Estate was 30 acres.[3] The Great House at Sabina Park Pen was named Rosemount

Sabina Park murdered her four-month-old child and in her deposition in the Half-Way-Tree court, admitted that she had killed her child- and proceeded to give her reason for doing so. Sabinas complaint, according to the Crown witness, was that “she had worked enough for Backra (Master) already and that she would not be plagued to raise the child…to work for white people”.

She was found guilty of murder by the court and hanged. She was buried on the Liguanea Plain at a place that bore, in perpetuity, her name — Sabina Park.

From 1880, Sabina Park was rented by Kingston Cricket Club from Mrs. Blakely, the then owner, for an annual fee of £27. This arrangement continued until 27 November 1890 when it was purchased for £750.

Sabina Park became a Test cricket ground in 1930 when it hosted the visiting MCC team for the fourth and final Test in the West Indies first home series.

The picturesque ground is perhaps one of the most significant in Test cricket history recording the first triple century in the game with Englands Andy Sandhams 325 versus the West Indies in the 1930 game. The 365 not out by Sir Garfield Sobers which stood as a Test record for over 36 years is also regaled, as is Lawrence Rowes world record on debut 214 and 100 not out against the visiting New Zealand in 1972.

Sabina Park was the venue for the abandoned test in 1998 involving the touring England team. The test was abandoned after less than an hours play due to the pitch being deemed unfit for play.

Prior to Independence Park opening in 1962, it would also host the Jamaica national football team.

7) Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, Gros Islet

The Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, previously the Beausejour Cricket Ground, is a cricket ground located near Gros Islet, Saint Lucia standard seating capacity of 15,000. It was completed in 2002 and currently accommodates 13,000 spectators.

Originally named after the Beausejour hills and situated in the outskirts of Rodney Bay, the stadium was completed in 2002 and hosts domestic matches for the Windward Islands cricket team. It staged its first international Test match in 2003 against Sri Lanka and became the first venue in the Caribbean to host a day-night game.

The sporting facility was constructed on 22 acres consisting of about 18 hospitality suites and a pavilion that offers each team its own gym and lounge apart from a balcony and conference room. It is located in the driest area of Saint Lucia, making it most suitable for hosting cricket.

On July 21, 2016 it was formally renamed the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground after Daren Sammy who captained the West Indies side in winning the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 in India. He also captained the West Indies to victory in the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, making him the second West Indian captain after Clive Lloyd with multiple ICC world championships. One of the stands will also be named in honour of Johnson Charles, who was also part of the side in both 2012 and 2016.

The first international match played at the renamed ground took place on 9 August 2016, when India played the West Indies as part of a four-match Test series.

8) Antigua Recreation Ground, St. Johns

Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. Johns, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team. It had Test cricket status.[1] It was also known as the Old Recreation Ground, or the Old Rec.

A number of great cricketers, including Andy Roberts and Richie Richardson, began their first-class careers there.

One of Antiguas most famous sons, Viv Richards, scored the fastest Test match century off 56 balls[4] against England in the "Blackwash" series of 1986 at the Recreation Ground. It was also where Brian Lara twice set the record for highest individual Test innings, scoring 375 in 1994 and the current record of 400 not out in 2004, both times against England.[5]

In May 2003 the West Indies completed the highest ever successful run chase in Test Cricket at the ARG, making 418/7 against Australia in their fourth innings to win by 3 wickets.

Antigua is considered to be a good wicket on which to bat — hard and dry whilst not offering much bounce or movement to bowlers. This is colloquially known as a "featherbed".

After the building of the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for the 2007 World Cup, no further Test cricket was expected at the Recreation Ground. However, due to the abandonment of the Second Test between West Indies v England on 13 February 2009 after just ten balls (due to an unfit outfield), an extra Test, called the Third Test, began at the Antigua Recreation Ground on 15 February 2009, despite concerns about the dilapidated condition of the stadium.

Like many other cricket grounds in the Caribbean, the Antigua Recreation Ground traditionally hosts a variety of off the field entertainment, particularly music, both live and recorded, during breaks in play. For many years, an entertainer called Gravy would operate in the stands, usually in fancy dress.

9) Windsor Park, Roseau

Windsor Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Roseau, Dominica. It serves as the national stadium and is used mostly for cricket matches. Other uses have included the World Creole Music Festival, the Finals of the Calypso Competition and the Miss Dominica pageant.

The stadium is of International Cricket Council (ICC) international standard with facilities featuring 12,000 seats, private boxes, a media centre, practice nets, a players personality complex, digital score boards and five cricket pitches.

The ground was named after Windsor, England and is situated on the eastern side of Roseau. It was levelled out of a rubbish dump previously known as Cow Town. It was a popular venue for sports of all kinds, carnival activities, horse and donkey racing, State parades and played a central role in island life. In 1999 a national stadium was planned for the site, but after demolishing all of the existing stands and adjoining buildings, including a former school that had once been wards of the Roseau Hospital, the project was abandoned and the site was deserted until 2005.

10): Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is a stadium in North Sound, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda. It was built for use in the 2007 Cricket World Cup where it hosted Super 8 matches. The stadium usually caters for 10,000 people, but temporary seating doubled its capacity for the 2007 World Cup. The stadium is named after former West Indies cricket captain Viv Richards.

The stadium is about 10–20 minutes drive from the capital city, St. Johns, and the countrys international airport. The venue cost approximately US$60 million to build, with the majority of the funds coming from a Chinese Government grant. The first Test match staged on the ground began on 30 May 2008 when the West Indies hosted Australia, with the match ending in a draw.

The stadium constitutes two main stands: the Northern Stand and the five-story South Stand. In 2008, the roof of the South Stand was damaged by high winds.Other facilities include a practice pitch for the various cricket teams, training infrastructure and a media centre. Sir Viv Richards Stadium is one of the few state-of-the-art venues that encompass underground passageways for the cricket teams to move about in.

Prior to the start of the first Test against England on 13 April 2015, the north and south ends were renamed for two former West Indies cricketers, Sir Curtly Ambrose and Sir Andy Roberts.

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