Barbados and cricket...

So, the RC family has it's regular jaunt to Barbados planned for early April, and I see that there's a WI-AUS test starting on the 7th at the Kensington Oval. For me, it would be a very agreeable way to spend my birthday (and that fact probably gets me enough leverage to persuade the dear lady wife to loosen my ball and chain for the day).

Given that there's quite a BGI fan base on this site, I thought it was worth asking if anyone can provide some advice, tips etc in terms of best way to get tickets (and indeed if I'm deluding myself that I could get them at all), best place to sit, facilities available for food/drink etc if I were to drag the littl'uns along for a few hours?

Ta
RC

Sounds like a great birthday.

I don't know about tickets etc, but I do know that attendances at test matches in the carribean are waaaaay down on what they once were. The Kensington Oval has also been heavily redeveloped lately with a larger capacity etc, so I would be very confident that it won't be anywhere near sold out.

Perhaps ask your resort to source you some tickets for a reasonable mark up?

Thanks clarkey... yes, I've seen the low attendances at some WI grounds, although my thinking was that BGI might be a bit of an exception given that it's somewhat more affluent than most. Good idea about the resort sorting tickets, I may give that a try.

A quick google search suggests they're likely to be sub-$20 anyway, which is just a little bit less than I'm paying to go to Lord's later on this year!!

Or, if you have any good taxi drivers that you use regularly, ask him/her to do it for you and offer them a ticket as well? There is no substitute for local knowledge, afterall!

And, I'm envious! Each time I've gone to BGI, I've checked the international cricket schedule in the hope of getting to the Kensington Oval - with no success to date.

The easiest way to get tickets is straioght from the Kensington Oval Box Office, http://www.windiescricket.com/tickets/box-office-locations. They are normally quite helpful. They usually don't send them out but you have to go and collect them either on the day, or any time before hand.

The only seat map I could find was for a Rhianan concert(!) but my personal preference is for the Greenwich and Haynes stands, where you are side on to the wicket and not too far from the bars!

Concorde - Good idea, but sadly no regular taxi driver, it tends to be the thrill of car hire for us when we decide to get out and about. In fact I have managed to find my way to the Oval once before. Not such an achievement you may think given what a landmark it is, but this was several years ago when the 'improvement works' were clearly underway, and the only possible entrance seemed to be down a long narrow residential gravel track of a road. I suppose I had expected something slightly more grandiose...

My most enduring memory of the place was the 'gift shop' containing a wonderful collection of vintage memorabilia. Ok, that's probably putting excessive spin on what was really 30 years of unsold tat, combined with a robust intransigence to to concept of stock rotation. The permanently marked parking space outside for Sir Garfield Sobers was also a nice touch. I'm not convinced he was the owner of the JCB that was in residence there though.

I'm also with you around poor planning of trips versus matches - seems to happen every time I'm in the caribbean. That said, I've done very well with visiting teams coincidentally staying in the same hotels as us. England on two occasions, but best of all when we were in Grenada and the WI, SA and SL teams all parked themselves with us. I even managed to get a cricket hat signed by the whole WI team - that's the benefit of having a cute little girl that you can send over to ask that nice Mr Lara for you...

So yes, I'm damned if I'm going to miss this chance, if only so I can wear that hat and show the Aussies who I'm supporting that day.

RC

WI vs AUS - what a chance that is....really hope you get there, and look forward to the report!

If only it was the WI of old - Grenwich and Haines, Marshall, Holding Croft et al....boy, wouldn't it be good to see those guys tearing into the aussies!

It's amazing, when you bring up the subject of cricket with taxi/bus drivers etc, they still talk with such passion about cricket, but yet the WI team is a shaddow of it's former self, most especialy in the test arena - shame.

Mind you, we know all about that and our football team, the current RU team, the welsh and the RU team of the 70s (mind you, they're coming back!) and so on.

David - fantastic, thank you, I will check it out. And the tip on seating definitely strikes a chord, obviously I didn't want to say out loud that it had to be close to a bar but... well, I hoped I didn't have to!

Concorde - US basketball was the killer there I think - even with the cash injection that the 20:20 game brought, it was never going to be able to compete. Whilst the older timers may long wistfully for a return of Ambrose, Marshall, Walsh and the like, it ain't going to happen when all the tall fast talent ends up going state-side. And let's not even mention 'Sir' Allen Stanford, given how he managed to suck Lord's and my beloved Middlesex into that tawdry spectacle, harrrumph.

As for RU... it's the beginning of the end now we have lost the moral high ground over the footballing fraternity. And spectators whistling while the opposing side takes a penalty, what's that all about eh?

Is it me, or is this going a bit O/T... harrumph again I say.

But fun though!

https://www.iticketsbarbados.com/events/sports/
here is the link were you can order them on line

Thanks... I can't actually find the test match though on that site, just some T20 matches. Not too concerned now though as it sounds like there should be plenty of availability once I get out there. Failing that I'll definitely check with the hotel concierge (Almond Beach, coincidentally...)

Don't worry ratechaser you won't have a problem getting a ticket on the day. We're in BGI too early to get a match in this year

We were in Barbados for the twenty twenty world cup and didn't go to any games (kicking ourselves now.

We came across alot of people had brought tickets in advance, some got taxi's down to the ground on the day before and queued up for tickets.

A group we met were out their just for the cricket and were due home the day of the final they were gutted they were going to miss it, but happily their VS flight was delayed 24 hours so they got to go.