Cricket in the Oval
(click images to enlargen)
The game of cricket has become more than just a sport to those of the West Indies. It is part of our culture, our way of life, and has been a source of our identity. As the renowned Trinidad and Tobago author V.S. Naipaul put it in his book The Middle Passage: “In a society that demanded no skills and offered no reward to merit, cricket was the only activity that permitted a man to grow to his full stature and to be measured against international standards. We had no scientists, engineers, explorers, soldiers or poets. The cricketer was our only hero figure.”
Cricket came to the Caribbean in the late 18th century when the English military introduced the game to the locals, who at the time were mainly negro slaves working on sugar plantations (Kumar 2000). Since the abolition of slavery in 1838, indentured labourers from China, India and Portugal were exposed to the game.
The development of cricket in the West Indies was fostered through schools and clubs, and these were the earliest indications of formal institutions that became the backbone for the development of West Indies cricket (Kumar 2000). One such club was Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC), founded in 1891, which was the first recognized cricketing institution in Trinidad and Tobago. QPCC are the owners of the Queens Park Oval, the cricket ground with the largest capacity in the Caribbean (seats 18 000 people).
But what impact has cricket had on the city of Port of Spain?
One of the largest economical roles that cricket has had in Port of Spain is attracting tourists, and thereby foreign exchange. Tourists from all over the world flocked to the oval during the months of March and April 2007 to experience the 9th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup: it was estimated that more than 100,000 unique visitors travelled to the West Indies solely for the tournament (Sheringham 2007). Queen’s Park Oval has seated some of the biggest matches in the world of cricket, and has henceforth drawn global media coverage to the city of Port of Spain: an estimated worldwide television audience of 2.5 billion witnessed the opening ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup (Fuller 2007). Since then, the Oval has seen the likes of Australia, South Africa, India and New Zealand, among others, to its field.
The Oval has also been an important factor driving the cricketing culture of Port of Spain. Port of Spain is the seat of cricket in Trinidad and Tobago, and many of the schools in the city are some of the best cricketing schools in the country. This is in part due to the Oval, which has a youth training academy in the club, and therefore young aspiring cricketers can go there to get some of the best coaching in the world; the likes of Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo and Kieron Pollard have graduated from Queen’s Park’s ranks. Even Brian Lara spent the latter years of his youth training there.
Queen’s Park Oval has also helped to promote the “party” culture in the city. During carnival time, the Oval is transformed from its normal sporting use into a party venue. Although this is a controversial matter, and many persons find it disgraceful that people party and drink on the same turf that our national heroes go to represent our country, it is still a profitable venture for the privately owned Oval. Large parties such as Jamboree are hosted inside the Oval.
The pictures above depict West Indian pacer Kemar Roach delivering a ball to New Zealand’s Kane Williamson during New Zealand’s tour in July 2012. The intent and concentration is visible in the bowler’s eyes as he finishes his stride after releasing the ball. West Indies cricket throughout its history is associated with fast bowlers: “fast bowlers have been the bread and butter of West Indies cricket” (Becca 2010).Many critics of West Indies cricket have talked about a decline in true pace bowlers over the years since the likes of Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose 20 years ago.
How does the Oval help to portray the multiplex image of Port of Spain? The Oval helps to cement that culture of cricket in Port of Spain by hosting local and international matches, and providing world class training for its players: the best cricket in the country is played in the capital. As previously mentioned, the Oval has drawn international media coverage to the city when it hosts large matches. A common practice when broadcasting cricket is to show an overview of the city which is hosting a match. During overs, the commentators would show images and videos of the city while giving viewers information on the town. This helps to put Port of Spain on the map, and gives the country “free advertising” in a sense, as the millions of people watching the game get a sneak peak of what the city is like.
References:
Becca, T. 2010. “Lean, mean pace machines”. Cricinfo. http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/466820.html (accessed Feb 29, 2016).
Fuller, J. 2007. “Building excitement: hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean”. Caribbean Beat. http://caribbean-beat.com/issue-80/building-excitement#ixzz419m9sVRh (accessed Feb 25, 2016).
Kumar, V.P. 2000. Cricket, Lovely Cricket. Leicester: Polar Print Group Ltd.
Naipaul, V.S. 1962. The Middle Passage. London: Macmillan.
Sheringham, S. 2007. “Chinese invade the Caribbean in an attempt to isolate Taiwan”. Taipei Times. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2007/03/11/2003351858 (accessed Feb 29, 2016).
