Official hoping to use day-night match to relaunch venue

Government and cricket authorities in Antigua are planning to use the historic day-night match at the Sir Vivian Richards Ground to re-launch the venue as a premier one, after it was slapped with a one-year ban in the wake of the aborted England Test last year.



Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago will clash in the first day-night game in a Regional First-Class Championship, when they meet at the venue in the second round of the tournament, starting tomorrow.



Junior Sports Minister, Winston Williams, says the government will use the match as a comeback, which will see the stadium in full action.



The ground, named after the legendary West Indies batsman, made headlines last February when the second Test between West Indies and England had to be abandoned after just 10 balls, because of an impaired outfield.



Cricket’s governing body, the International Cricket Council, subsequently imposed a one-year ban on the venue from hosting international games.



Other second round matches starting tomorrow are, defending champions Jamaica against Leeward Islands at Warner Park and Barbados playing Combined Campuses and Colleges at Grove Park.