CATEGORY:SPORTS (CRICKET)
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By Wallace J.A.(Inside Grenada correspondent)


ST.ANDREW’S, Grenada (Saturday October 07,2006) – The idyllic Progress Park, located in the rural village of Paradise, St.Andrew’s, is expected to be buzzing with excitement tomorrow (Sunday October 07,2006). Former West Indian cricket legends like Sir Viv Richards, Richie Richardson, Courtney Walsh and others will come up against some of England’s legendary cricketers like Alan Lamb, Phil De Fretas and Chris Lewis, just to name a few.

The Cricket Classic, as the event is dubbed, is bound to evoke deep feelings of nostalgia among Grenadians as well as other regional and international cricket lovers who will undoubtedly be attending the event tomorrow. The 1980s marked a very proud era in West Indian history, since it was during that time the region was able to put together one of the most potent forces in cricket history, literally ruling the cricket world in despotic fashion.

Since the mid-1990s, however, West Indies cricket has taken a terrible nosedive which has resulted in the team being a mere shadow of its former self, with rare flashes of brilliance- an ephemeral and transient reminder of the way things were.

The Cricket Classic at Progress Park tomorrow will surely rekindle the old battle among friendly foes and bring a pleasant smile to the faces of cricket lovers. It is also an excellent time for the young and ‘the young-at-heart’ to meet face to face some of the great personalities in the cricketing world from yesteryear.

It is the second time that a cricket match of this magnitude has come to St.Andrew’s. The National Stadium, where the first Cricket Classic was held, is presently under construction and could not be used this year. The Progress Park is expected to be used as one of the practice venues for international teams that will be in Grenada for the Cricket World Cup (CWC) next year. Much work, therefore, has gone into the preparation of the pitch and the outfield and, needless to say, many persons would be eager to see how the pitch plays.

One of the key organizers for the Cricket Classics is Allan Lamb, from Grenada Sports Limited (GSL), a UK-based sports promotion company. The event is meant to enhance Grenada’s international profile as a premier sport-tourism destination and bring more visitors to the shores of the Spice Isle. It is also a way of helping to create a nice buildup to CWC 2007.