St Lucia gets it right

	The passion for cricket is alive and kicking in the Caribbean © Getty Images

I had a headache yesterday, but it was a good headache. The noise at the Beausejour Stadium was immense as West Indies began their match against Australia. The ground was full – the advantage of a floodlit match rather than an early start – and it was a frenzied atmosphere. Unfortunately for the majority they didn’t have much to shout about.

There were amazing contrasts in emotion. Chris Gayle’s early boundary would have brought the roof, then his quick dismissal created near silence. But the home supporters would cheer again until another wicket fell and the killer blow for them, after giving him a hero’s welcome, was the first-ball loss of local star Darren Sammy. He is a legend in these parts and a golden duck was a sad moment. Minutes later a priest was seen standing in front of one of the stands, but there would be no divine inspiration for West Indies.

Yet despite the defeat it showed what passion is still alive for cricket. If only they had a team who could deliver success more often.

Much has been written about the new Caribbean grounds that sprang up for the 2007 World Cup (a lot of it in this diary over the last 18 months) and how they struggle to capture the true essence of the regions. The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and Providence could really be grounds anywhere in the world, unlike the ARG and Bourda.

However, the Beausejour Stadium is an example of how to get things right. It has only been in existence since 2002 and is delightful venue nestled between lush, green hills about ten minutes drive out of Rodney Bay, one of the main tourist areas north of Castries.

The playing area is massive – not far off double the size of some of the postage-stamp grounds in the Caribbean. This has caught out (in every sense) a number of batsmen who were used to the short, straight ropes at Kensington Oval.

There are some picturesque settings for cricket grounds around the world – Cape Town and Galle come near the top of the list – but the Beausejour isn’t far behind. The low stands (which one colleague said reminded them of Dambulla in Sri Lanka) don’t obscure the view and the exclusive-looking houses built on the side of the hills have a prime vantage point. It all seems in keeping with the area, unlike previously mentioned grounds that stick out like a sore thumb.

Behind the stadium a road snakes around the hills and it slowly filled up during the day so by the time West Indies played it was lined with fans getting a free view of the match. It’s a shame they didn’t have more of a performance to watch.

Sadly I arrived in St Lucia a day late to experience the end of the Jazz Festival, which has been competing for local attention with the World Twenty20. Shaggy, who performed at the opening to the tournament, was the star attraction on the final night and it was just across the road from the England hotel. It didn’t seem to have an adverse effect on them as they made three Super Eight wins with victory over New Zealand.