Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
Encyclopedia
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 Cricket World Cup
. The stadium is named after former West Indies cricket team captain Viv Richards
.
The stadium is about 10–20 minutes drive from the capital city, St. John's
, and the country's international airport, (VC Bird 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 was on May 30 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, a new beach (possibly a combination of unexploited coastal sand cove supported by artificial work) dubbed "Beach 366" (the island has a total of 365 natural beaches some of which were damaged during several passages of severe hurricanes in 1995, 1998 and 2000), 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.
The sandy nature of the outfield earnt the ground the nickname of 'Antigua's 366th beach' in the buildup to the game. The aftermath of this abandonment caused great embarrassment for West Indies cricket, resulting in two inquests to be held by WICB
and the ICC
.
The outcome of the ICC
inquest resulted in the ground being suspended from staging all international matches for twelve months and an official warning was issued to the WICB
.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in North Sound, Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
, Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands...
. It was built for use in the 2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
where it hosted Super 8 matches. The stadium usually caters for 10,000 people, but temporary seating doubled its capacity for the 2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
. The stadium is named after former West Indies cricket team captain Viv Richards
Viv Richards
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, OBE is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv or King Viv Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald...
.
The stadium is about 10–20 minutes drive from the capital city, St. John's
St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
St John's is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. St John's is located at...
, and the country's international airport, (VC Bird International Airport
VC Bird International Airport
V. C. Bird International Airport is located on the island of Antigua, northeast of St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.- History :...
). 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 was on May 30 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, a new beach (possibly a combination of unexploited coastal sand cove supported by artificial work) dubbed "Beach 366" (the island has a total of 365 natural beaches some of which were damaged during several passages of severe hurricanes in 1995, 1998 and 2000), 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.
Outfield controversy
The ground's second Test match began against England on February 13, 2009. However, the match was abandoned after only ten balls due to the outfield's dangerous condition. The groundstaff had applied an extra layer of sand after recent flooding, which resulted in the bowlers being unable to gain a foothold when running in to bowl.The sandy nature of the outfield earnt the ground the nickname of 'Antigua's 366th beach' in the buildup to the game. The aftermath of this abandonment caused great embarrassment for West Indies cricket, resulting in two inquests to be held by WICB
West Indies Cricket Board
The West Indies Cricket Board is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in the West Indies...
and the ICC
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
.
The outcome of the ICC
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
inquest resulted in the ground being suspended from staging all international matches for twelve months and an official warning was issued to the WICB
West Indies Cricket Board
The West Indies Cricket Board is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in the West Indies...
.
See also
- Antigua Recreation GroundAntigua Recreation GroundAntigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...
- Stanford Cricket GroundStanford Cricket GroundThe Stanford Cricket Ground, colloquially known as "Sticky Wicket Stadium", is a cricket ground in Osbourn, Saint George Parish, Antigua. It was previously known as the Airport Cricket Ground, before it was taken over by Allen Stanford and rebuilt in 2004...
- List of Test cricket grounds