Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

Description

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is a cricket ground located in North Sound, Saint George, Antigua and Barbuda, named after former West Indies cricket captain Viv Richards. The stadium was built for the 2007 Cricket World Cup and has a capacity of 10,000 people, with temporary seating that doubled its capacity for the 2007 World Cup. The stadium is approximately 10-20 minutes' drive from the capital city, St. John's, and the country's international airport. The stadium consists of two main stands: the Northern Stand and the five-story South Stand, with facilities including a practice pitch for cricket teams, training infrastructure, a media center, and underground passageways for cricket.

The outfield has been a subject of controversy, with the ground's second Test match against England in 2009 being abandoned after only ten balls due to the outfield's sandy nature, resulting in the ground being suspended from staging any international matches for twelve months. The stadium has hosted numerous international cricket matches, including Tests, One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). The ground has also hosted international football matches, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The stadium is considered a state-of-the-art venue, with modern facilities and amenities, and has been the site of several significant sporting events.

Details

• Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is a cricket stadium located in Antigua.
• Built for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, it's a key venue for cricket in the region.
• Official capacity sits at 10,000 spectators, with potential for expansion during major events.
• Named after cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards.
  
  

  History

• Built in 2006 specifically to host matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
• Funded primarily by a grant from the Chinese government (estimated cost: US$60 million).
• Hosted "Super 8" matches during the 2007 World Cup.
• Officially opened in 2007.
• Named after West Indies cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards.
• First Test match: West Indies vs. Australia (May 30, 2008) - resulted in a draw.
• Stadium has two main stands: Northern Stand and the five-story Southern Stand.
• The North and South ends were later renamed to honor West Indies cricketers Curtly Ambrose and Andy Roberts.
• Known for its batsman-friendly pitch and a brief outfield controversy in 2009.
• Regularly hosts international cricket matches (Tests, ODIs, T20Is, WT20Is, WODIs).
• Scheduled to host eight matches during the upcoming 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Records at this stadium

• Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was opened on February 10, 2007.
• The stadium has hosted 10 T20I matches, with the first T20I played between South Africa and West Indies on May 19, 2010, and the last T20I played between Argentina and Canada on November 13, 2021
• The stadium has hosted 10 T20I matches, with the first T20I played between South Africa and West Indies on May 19, 2010, and the last T20I played between Argentina and Canada on November 13, 2021
• The stadium has hosted 14 Tests, with the first Test played between Australia and West Indies on May 30 - June 03, 2008, and the last Test played between Bangladesh and West Indies on June 16 - 19, 2022
• The stadium has hosted 12 ODIs, with the first ODI played between Australia and West Indies on March 27 - 28, 2007, and the last ODI played between West Indies and England on December 06, 2023
• The stadium has hosted 10 T20I matches, with the first T20I played between South Africa and West Indies on May 19, 2010, and the last T20I played between Argentina and Canada on November 13, 2021
• The stadium has hosted 10 WT20I matches, with the first WT20I played between India and West Indies on February 18, 2012, and the last WT20I played between West Indies and England on December 11, 2022
• The stadium has hosted 5 YODI matches, with the first YODI played between West Indies U19 and England U19 on December 06, 2019, and the last YODI played between England U19 and IND Under-19 on February 05, 2022
• The stadium has hosted 2 WODI matches, with the first WODI played between Australia(W) and W Indies (W) on September 08, 2019, and the last WODI played between England (W) and W Indies (W) on December 09, 2022