Government of Antigua to the rescue

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has invested over half a million dollars in getting the outfield and pitch at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) ready as a practice venue for the ICC T20 World Cup which will be held in the West Indies and the USA.
This process is similar to what is happening in Guyana although unlike the GCC and Everest in Guyana which are private venues, the ARG is state-owned.

After building the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for the 2007 World Cup, no further Test cricket was expected at the ARG in downtown St John’s.
In the build-up to the 2007 World Cup, a decision was made to abandon the ARG and create a purpose-built ground some way from the capital.
This decision was unpopular and, to many, epitomised the priority given to finances over common sense. Whereas the ARG was popular and atmospheric, the new venue was the opposite. The old ground continued to host other events but quickly fell into disrepair.
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That game ended in an exciting Draw as Darrel Powell (22) and Fidel Edwards (5) survived as West Indies reached 370-9 with Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan being named the Man-of-the-Match after making 96 & 106 in that game.
“There is a staff from Cricket West Indies (CWI) and there is also staff from the Antigua Ministry of Sports which did the Sir Vivian Richards ground doing work at the ARG.

They are working feverishly and have had some work done by the Cedar Valley Golf Course putting the outfield in good condition.
Work is also being done on the pitch and there will be a practice match over the weekend to try out that facility in terms of that area.” said Leeward Islands Cricket Commentator Vernon Springer, who was a guest on the last Sean Devers Sports Watch program.

The ARG has been out of commission for cricket for some years after the former government had given the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association a lease to use the venue.
“That did not go down too well with a majority of the public because of the history of that venue as a cricket ground, most people felt the ground should have still been in use for cricket.
The Government is now seeking partners to revive the ground and use it as a practice facility for the World Cup and beyond.

The bathroom facilities where the teams will be congregating for the practice match will have some work done in that area.
After the World Cup Football will no longer be played there since this Government has revoked the lease” Springer continued.
It is understood that the ARG will be used as the home ground for the Combined Schools team and it’s likely that Regional Cricket could return to the ARG.

The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium will host Oman v Scotland (June 9), Australia v Namibia (June 11), England v Oman (June 13), England v Namibia (June 15).
There will also be four Super 8 matches on June 19-23 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The Antigua Government is set to fund a Football, Cricket and Athletics Stadium at the 5-Islands University.
When that facility is completed in a few years, the 108 square Mile Island of Antigua will have four venues capable of hosting First-Class matches; the SVRS, Coolidge (ex-Stanford ground) and ARG, 5-Islands.

A total of 63 First-Class matches were played at the ARG from 1978 to 2009 with 22 Tests played in the 31 years history of cricket at the ARG.
West Indies won six and lost three while 13 of the Test matches there ended in draws.
The hive of activity was the two-tier Double Decker stand where partying lasted well into the night.
Some of the characters were Gravy and Mayfield while DJ Chickie the music master got man of the match West Indies played India and three days rained out and he kept the crowd lively throughout the days.

For many years Antigua had a unique ground staff, largely made up of inmates from the adjoining prison. For years the warden of the prison was Malcolm Richards, the father of Sir Viv.
Eleven ODI’s were held at the ARG since the first one when West Indies defeated Australia by 44 runs in 1978.
The last three ODIs in 2007 were when the ARG hosted the Associates Tri-series involving Bermuda, Bangladesh and Canada.

It was also at the ARG in 1980 that Roy Fredericks’ ton against the Leewards in the Regional 50-over final gave Guyana its first of nine 50-over titles.
England suffered a “Blackwash” in the 1986 series at the ARG. 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 against England.

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 three wickets.
Sir Viv’s fastest-ever Test ton was scored at the ARG in the 108 square mile Island that boasts a population of just 100,000 people.
The ARG became cricket’s 52nd Test venue in 1981 when it hosted England, a Test marked by a hundred from Sir Vivian Richards and Colin Croft’s 6-74.