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Having not watched any live regional cricket for the past two or three seasons, I wandered into Sabina Park last Thursday afternoon to have a look at the four-day game between the Jamaica Scorpions and the Leeward Island Hurricanes.

Fortunately for me, regional cricket’s all-time leading wicket-taker Nikita Miller was in his element on the day, snarling another impressive seven first-innings wickets to add to his already impressive career aggregate, in a game that the Scorpions eventually lost.

Miller’s exploits aside, the thing that struck me most of all was how empty Sabina Park was in the middle of a regional four-day game. Outside of a few media practitioners, who, by virtue of covering regional cricket on a regular basis, seemed indifferent to the hollow emptiness inside the park, there were also members of the maintenance staff, as well as some very bored security personnel. From my vantage point, I did not see even one individual, who appeared to be a mere spectator watching the cricket.

This is elite domestic cricket with senior West Indies representatives in both teams, yet not even the proverbial man and his dog were interested enough to journey to the park, sit, and watch a game involving the home team, Jamaica. The reality is, though, that the poor attendance for this level of cricket across the region is a mere index of what is happening generally in the longer formats of the game all across the world.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

What is the point?

What's new that you're adding???

In reply to InHindsight

The Oral Tracey's of this world are trying to turn me into POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!

In reply to Dukes


Dukes please we can't have two

Four days cricket lack of popularity has happened because of it's low entertainment value when compared to one day cricket. Also, in the Caribbean the format is poorly promoted, the standards are not close to high and few of the better players play it.

Thursday afternoon probably isn't going to interest many either.

Get schools going to games during the afternoon, meet & greets, mini-cricket etc.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

In reply to jacksprat

How do you know??
Did you see Nikita's face when he took those wickets??

Although the topic is one I am very interested in, I doubt some of the points the Oral Tracey made for indeed it seems embellished to support his narrow minded view.

1. He said it cost Jamaica Cricket $500K USD to stage a test match. He must have his head checked out for writing this shite and if this shite is true- the JCA have much explaining to do and Tracey boy need to learn investigative journalism so as to get a detailed breakdown of the cost structure. No way should it cost JCA this amount to host a test match. Players expenses including match fees, hotel, travel, meals etc is borne out by the team board, CWI and touring country board. The JCA is responsible for stadium security, stadium workers including security guard, sanitation and pitch preparation. JCA collect revenue or fees from CWI for hosting rights.

2. He was confident that not a single spectator was in attendance, apart from media and security etc. Well why didn't he as a journalist, get exact figures from ther stadium?

3. He said Test cricket throws in a few "odd" exciting matches now and again. Well he needs to come out from his urban cave. Test cricket has never been more exciting for a long while now.

4. He failed miserably to offer sincere and intelligent reasons for small crowds at long form cricket, which there are many with the most glaring being the lack of ability and care by the people who get paid to administer our cricket.


Lack of spectators at long form cricket is massive problem that could be rectified with proper management and indeed this topic has not been given sufficient coverage and analysis in the region, but for this writer to offer an article like this, far..far misses the mark.

The Gleaner has to do better, for an outfit that has been around for long time, one expects much better.

In reply to Emir

You make a lot of sense.

Tracy, I believe, is really a television sport commentator and not really a journalist. His appearance in the Gleaner is only occasional.. I don't think he is on their staff.

There is another reason for the poor attendance though. And it is the declining middle class -- the very people who would go to watch cricket.

Dollars nah run, they're only running away! Whatever progress is being made in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries, it does not seem to be having an impact on the people....


//

In reply to Dukes

one of the reasons is that our 4 day competition no longer has the best regional players as they are always on international duty at the same time so that our test schedule can accommodate IPL.

[b]There are a number of reasons why you will see Sabina Park empty. One of these reasons is the prevailing mood in the country. Because of the vicious crimes and murders taking place in the country, people are afraid to leave their grilled up homes and go anywhere. On that note, when last have you passed by a bar (or even people on their verandah) and see people sitting down playing Jamaica's favourite pastime - dominoes? The place has become one big prison, so forget cricket game, my life is more important.
Another reason Sabina is not what it used to be is because of the way the place is treated. Not many people will want to go to a place that looks so shabby and rundown. They built these beautiful stands some years ago. And not even a coat of paint they were able to daub on to the ugly, dirty looking concrete. Ok, they are not able to afford the paint. But when last have you looked at the ground at Sabina Park, especially on television? It's as if the people who take care of the ground are aesthetically challenged. Take a look at the pitch and you will swear that the people who take care of it have a serious problem with geometry. And it doesn't cost any more to make the thing look neat and esthetically pleasing. For the life of me, I can't figure out how difficult it could be to draw an oblong and neatly work within that shape. Sabina Park pitch always look so chacka chacka compared to other pitches you see around the world. It's the worst pitch in world cricket today. My question is: Who are the aesthetically, geometrically challenged individuals they have taking care of this pitch? My friend, those are only two reasons Sabina Park is on it's way to becoming the Ambassador Theatre that once stood in Trench Town.