The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

Hurricane Destroys Grenada Stadium

Wed, Sep 8, '04

 

Grenada

Hurricane Ivan has devastated Grenada's National Stadium Complex that houses the New Queen's Park cricket facility.

The Stadium Complex, completed in early 2000 with a finished product that made it one of the best sports facilities in the entire English-speaking Caribbean, suffered severe damage from the hurricane which made a direct hit on Grenada.

According to CMC Sports, roofing for the covered stands in the Cricket Stadium, and the National Stadium (track and field and football) facilities were all toppled, and fittings that made up the double-decker stands at the cricket stadium lay furrowed on the infield.

The electronic scoreboard at the National Stadium was destroyed and the manual scoreboard at the Cricket Stadium was also demolished by the powerful winds.

The Cricket Stadium had been completed in time to host ODI cricket between West Indies and Australia on their 1999 tour of the Caribbean, and the National Stadium hosted its first major track and field event months later when it staged the 2000 CARIFTA Games.

The devastation could threaten Grenada's hosting of matches in next month's regional one-day competition. Matches have already been scheduled for the Tanteen Recreation Ground, as well as out of town La Sagesse and the Grenville Recreation Ground, which all suffered damage.

Officials from the WICB are scurrying to survey the damage and there is a chance the Grenada leg of the tournament which begins on October 17 will be shifted to another country.

Trinidad & Tobago is not available as an alternative venue because October is traditionally a rainy month and with Hurricane Ivan heading for Jamaica, it's unlikely the tournament will be moved there.

Antigua remains the most likely alternative although football activities at the ARG Ground could affect the planning. In a crunch, the WICB could hold the entire tournament in Guyana.

The Grenada Stadium is also a venue for six quarter-final matches at the Cricket World Cup tournament in 2007.