Cricket in St.Vincent and the Grenadines

Most Vincentians young and old alike attended the three cricket matches held this week in St.Vincent. The matches were three ‘one day internationals’ between the West Indies and Australia , held on Friday March 16^th , Sunday march 18^th , Tuesday March 20^th. A one day  international match is limited to 50 ‘overs’ or 300 balls bowled. The  matches were held at Arnos Vale which is located 10 minutes out of the city of Kingstown. Some spectators are truly die hard West Indies cricket team fans , who really rejoice or agonize depending on if the West Indies team is winning or losing  , while others go for the excitement of  what the game brings.

 I personally find the game itself a bit boring but the real life games are the complete opposite, an event is made  of it .The atmosphere at these games  takes the form of a party where every score is celebrated with a burst of music and that is accompanied with cheers. There is usually a variety of food and beverages available. At a cricket match it seems like something is in the air that can be compared to being kind of like carnival.

Cricket is celebrated through the entire world however I believe in the Caribbean it is more lively and  more celebrated. In  countries like Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados, when Test matches (which can run for five days) are played . The games are attended by the thousands who are kept entertained by live music of steel pan and soca music. Some of the entertainment is impromptu  as  local performers  just entertain the crowds  as part of the party  spirit.

In St.Vincent, the matches were well attended. The infamous “Guinness possé Stand” was filled with spectators as this stand is usually the hot spot. This stand caters to the people who enjoy more of a good time who want to socialize and dance. There were numerous specials on drinks including Guinness and the stand was catered to by its own deejay who played current and trend music.

Cricket is a great outing where Vincentians can take this day to enjoy a match with their families or come to have a good time. In all it’s a great experience . This time around was especially great as the Team  lost one match , drew one and won one. The excitement was at fever pitch  as the fans were encouraged that their team was making a comeback from being in the doldrums for the past few years.