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St Lucia will celebrate one of its greatest moments when the island hosts group matches and a semifinal in the World Cup, the head of the local organising committee said yesterday.
It has a population of about 150,000 and was not traditionally on the international cricket circuit, but careful planning and a new stadium have helped St Lucia jump the queue of West Indies nations eager to host the big matches.
"In St Lucia we are pretty excited. Undoubtedly it is one of the most important moments in our history," Ernest Hilaire said. "We are really looking forward to putting on a show for the world."
St Lucia will host all the group C matches involving England, New Zealand, Kenya and Canada, with Saturday's match between England and New Zealand a standout. But the second semifinal on April 25 will be the highlight.
The Beausejour Cricket Ground was built in 2002 and authorities were so impressed they made it the world's 88th test venue when it hosted the first test between the West Indies and Sri Lanka in 2003.
The stadium made more history in May last year when it became the first ground in the West Indies to host a day/night match.
Redevelopment work for the World Cup has improved an already impressive arena.
"The ground has really been transformed. Beausejour is a proven facility, so we had a decent advantage when bidding for World Cup matches," said Hilaire, who has a background in sports administration.
"We made quite a statement quite early of our capability. We are very proud to have a very good infrastructure and facilities."
Some of the crowds for the World Cup warm-up games last week were disappointing and with tickets still available for the St Lucia games, Hilaire is keen to boost attendances.
"We are encouraging people to come to the ground. It is a historic occasion."
St Lucia's success in obtaining the semifinal might suggest that the island is well poised to consistently join the international circuit when touring sides visit the West Indies.
But the island was ruled by the French before the British took control in the 19th century and Hilaire thinks their non-cricket heritage compared with usual test venues in Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, Antigua and Guyana may count against them.
"With regard to facilities, we would rank with anyone. But the cricket culture is not as strong as some of the other islands."
- REUTERS
