Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, located in Saint George, Antigua, is one of the best cricket stadiums in the West Indies. As you might have guessed it is named after the former captain of the West Indies, Sir Vivian Richards. Just like the Guyana National Cricket Stadium, it was constructed specially for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is going to host the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies. For this purpose, they have shortlisted 9 venues across these two countries. Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is one of the 9 venues that will host this ICC event.
Overview
Sir Viv Richards Stadium is one of the best cricket venues in the West Indies. It will be hosting the Men’s T20 World Cup for the second time, the last time was in 2007. It is also one of the few venues that provides an underground passageway for the cricket teams. Here is the overview of the stadium:
| Location | Saint George, Antigua and Barbuda |
| Establishment | 2006 |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| End Names | Andy Roberts and Curtly Ambrose |
| Home To | Antigua and Barbuda, Leeward Islands |
History of Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
As we know it was built in 2007 especially to host the T20 World Cup that was held in the West Indies. Since its establishment, it has hosted many domestic and international matches. Here you can see the history of international matches played on this pitch:
| Format | Date | Match |
|---|---|---|
| First Test | 30 May–3 June 2008 | West Indies vs Australia |
| Last Test | 16–19 June 2022 | West Indies vs Bangladesh |
| First ODI | 27–28 March 2007 | West Indies vs Australia |
| Last ODI | 6 December 2023 | West Indies vs England |
| First T20I | 19 May 2010 | West Indies vs South Africa |
| Last T20I | 13 November 2021 | Argentina vs Canada |
| First WODI | 8 September 2019 | West Indies vs Australia |
| Last WODI | 9 December 2022 | West Indies vs England |
| First WT20I | 18 February 2012 | West Indies vs India |
| Last WT20I | 11 December 2022 | West Indies vs England |
Apart from international cricket, it also hosts many domestic tournaments. It is home to the Antigua and Barbuda, Leeward Islands. This renowned stadium has hosted many matches but one is often remembered for the controversy it created.
As you can see in the table, the first test match on this ground was played on 30 May – 3 June 2008 between West Indies and Australia. The first test was successfully held however during the second test match which West Indies played against England on 13 February 2009, the match was abandoned after only a few balls were bowled.
The staff had applied extra layers of sand after heavy rain, which made the outfield too much sandy. This sandy nature ultimately caused much controversy and after inquiries, the International Cricket Council (ICC), banned this stadium for one year.
Matches Scheduled In Antigua
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will start on June 1 and end on 29. This 29-day-long tournament will consist of 55 matches, out of which 39 will be played across the 6 West Indies Venues. Here’s the list of these venues:
- Kensington Oval, Barbados
- Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
- Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
- Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
- Amos Vale Stadium, Saint Vincent
- Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Saint Lucia
The 39 matches that are supposed to be played in the West Indies include all the Super 8 phase and knockout matches. Sir Vivian Richards Stadium will host the following matches in the tournament:
– June 9: Oman vs Scotland
– June 11: Australia vs Namibia
– June 13: England vs Oman
– June 15: Namibia vs England
– June 20: B2 vs D2
– June 22: A1 vs D2
– June 23: C2 vs D1
That’s it for this article, for more information about the tournament, you should visit their official website: ICC Cricket.