Antigua Recreation Ground

Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team. It had Test cricket status.[1] It was also known as the Old Recreation Ground, or the Old Rec.[2][3]

For the former football stadium in England, see Old Recreation Ground.

Antigua Recreation Ground
West Indies v Australia in May 2003
Ground information
LocationAntigua
Establishment1978
Capacity12,000
End names
Pavilion End
Factory Road End
International information
First Test28 Mar – 1 Apr 1981:
 West Indies v  England
Last Test15 Feb – 19 Feb 2009:
 West Indies v  England
First ODI22 Feb 1978:
 West Indies v  Australia
Last ODI28 Feb 2007:
 Bangladesh v  Canada
As of 21 February 2009
Source: Antigua Recreation Ground, Cricinfo

A number of great cricketers, including Andy Roberts and Richie Richardson, began their first-class careers there.

One of Antigua's most famous sons, Viv Richards, scored the fastest Test match century off 56 balls[4] against England in the "Blackwash" series of 1986 at the Recreation Ground. It was also where Brian Lara twice set the record for highest individual Test innings, scoring 375 in 1994 and the current record of 400 not out in 2004, both times against England.[5]

In May 2003 the West Indies completed the highest ever successful run chase in Test Cricket at the ARG, making 418/7 against Australia in their fourth innings to win by 3 wickets.

Antigua is considered to be a good wicket on which to bat — hard and dry whilst not offering much bounce or movement to bowlers. This is colloquially known as a "featherbed".[6]

After the building of the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for the 2007 World Cup, no further Test cricket was expected at the Recreation Ground. However, due to the abandonment of the Second Test between West Indies v England on 13 February 2009 after just ten balls (due to an unfit outfield), an extra Test, called the Third Test, began at the Antigua Recreation Ground on 15 February 2009, despite concerns about the dilapidated condition of the stadium.[7]

Like many other cricket grounds in the Caribbean, the Antigua Recreation Ground traditionally hosts a variety of off the field entertainment, particularly music, both live and recorded, during breaks in play. For many years, an entertainer called Gravy would operate in the stands, usually in fancy dress.

List of five-wicket hauls

A total of 16 five-wicket hauls were taken in Test matches on the ground.

Five-wicket hauls in Men's Test matches at Antigua Recreation Ground
No. Bowler Date Team Opposing Team Inn O R W Result
1Colin Croft27 March 1981 West Indies England125746Drawn[8]
2Carl Rackemann[upper-alpha 1]7 April 1984 Australia West Indies242.41615West Indies won[9]
3Joel Garner[upper-alpha 1]7 April 1984 West Indies Australia320.5635West Indies won[9]
4Ian Bishop12 April 1990 West Indies England128.1845West Indies won[10]
5Waqar Younis1 May 1993 Pakistan West Indies1281045Drawn[11]
6Courtney Walsh8 April 1995 West Indies Australia121.3546Drawn[12]
7Curtly Ambrose[upper-alpha 2]27 April 1996 West Indies New Zealand232685Drawn[13]
8Danny Morrison[upper-alpha 2]27 April 1996 New Zealand West Indies320615Drawn[13]
9Curtly Ambrose[upper-alpha 3]13 June 1997 West Indies Sri Lanka113.1375West Indies won[14]
10Muttiah Muralitharan[upper-alpha 3]13 June 1997 Sri Lanka West Indies223.4345West Indies won[14]
11Curtly Ambrose3 April 1999 West Indies Australia129.5945Australia won[15]
12Courtney Walsh[upper-alpha 4]25 May 2000 West Indies Pakistan126835West Indies won[16]
13Wasim Akram[upper-alpha 4]25 May 2000 Pakistan West Indies226.2616West Indies won
14Wasim Akram[upper-alpha 4]25 May 2000 Pakistan West Indies430495West Indies won
15Jermaine Lawson9 May 2003 West Indies Australia119.1787West Indies won[17]
16Graeme Swann15 February 2009 England West Indies224575Drawn[18]

See also

Notes
  1. Rackemann and Garner took their give-wicket hauls in the same match.
  2. Ambrose and Morrison took their five-wicket hauls during the same match.
  3. Ambrose and Muralitharan took their five-wicket hauls during the same match.
  4. Walsh's and both of Wasim Akram's five-wicket hauls were taken during the same match.

References
  1. Cricinfo
  2. "England desperate for fightback at old Rec". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  3. "Test saved by old Rec put to good use". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  4. "Fastest Tests Centuries and 50s". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
  5. "Lara sets Test record". BBC Sport. 12 April 2004. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
  6. "A glossary of cricket terms". Cricinfo. Retrieved 3 January 2007.
  7. "West Indies v England 2nd Test". BBC Sport. 13 February 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  8. 4th Test, England tour of West Indies at St John's, Mar 27 - Apr 1 1981, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  9. 4th Test, Australia tour of West Indies at St John's, Apr 7-11 1984, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  10. 5th Test, England tour of West Indies at St John's, Apr 12-16 1990, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  11. 3rd Test, Pakistan tour of West Indies at St John's, May 1-6 1993, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  12. 2nd Test, Australia tour of West Indies at St John's, Apr 8-13 1995, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  13. 2nd Test, New Zealand tour of West Indies at St John's, Apr 27 - May 2 1996, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  14. 4th Test, Australia tour of West Indies at St John's, Apr 3-7 1999, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  15. 4th Test, Australia tour of West Indies at St John's, Apr 3-7 1999, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  16. 3rd Test, Pakistan tour of West Indies at St John's, May 25-29 2000, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  17. 4th Test, Australia tour of West Indies at St John's, May 9-13 2003, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  18. 3rd Test, England tour of West Indies at St John's, Feb 15-19 2009, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-01-07.

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