Record crowd to watch Test

Tony Becca

March 12, 1998


CRICKET: The Fifth Test between the West Indies and England will be watched by the biggest crowd ever at Kensington Oval, and because of that the match will be shown live on local television.

According to Barbados Cricket Association president, Tony Marshall, there will be over 15,000 fans for the first four days, there is not a ticket available, and apart from locals, a few thousand tourists who are in Bridgetown for the match will have to stay in their hotel rooms and watch the game on television.

According to a ruling by the government of Barbados, only 35 per cent of the seats for a Test match at Kensington Oval can be sold to tour group operators, and some 5,000 tickets have been sold to English fans.

This will be the first time that a Test match at Kensington will be shown live on local television.

``We had to do it,'' said Marshall. ``The Oval will be packed, so why not?''

Barbados is a tourist destination, cricket is part of the attraction, and the fee for the live television broadcast was paid by the government through the tourist board.

Apart from the newly-constructed Michie Hewitt Stand at the northern-eastern of the ground, temporary stands have been erected in every available space around the ground - including the gaps between the stands.


Source: The Jamaica Gleaner

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Date-stamped : 13 Mar1998 - 14:41