Hundreds flock to Kensington ahead of T20 World Cup

Hundreds of people from all walks of life visited Kensington Oval, the Caribbean’s cricket mecca, on Wednesday to see the renovations completed in preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup that starts Sunday.

But while giving a thumbs up to the $25 million in improvements, several Oval visitors told Barbados TODAY they intended to follow the World Cup from the comfort of their homes.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced last Friday that the public was invited to an open day to tour the refurbished cricket stadium. The event appeared to pique significant interest, with a long queue forming to enter the storied ground an hour ahead of its 2 p.m. opening.

A carnival of traditional Barbadian performances greeted patrons as they entered – the rhythms and melodies of a tuk band as Mother Sallies and Shaggy Bears danced for the camera.

By 1:45 p.m., around 200 people had already taken their seats in the Worrell, Weekes & Walcott Stand, listening to a welcome from Damien Gaskin, chairman of the Kensington Oval Management Inc (KOMI), the cricket stadium’s state-owned operator. Within hours, the Oval was teeming with several hundred visitors, many of whom had taken time off work or travelled from overseas.

“The truth is that we didn’t know what to expect,” Gaskin told reporters. “The prime minister said she wanted one and all to come out, she set a time and we prepared. We have a number of tour guides in place, we have some volunteers, we have police [and] we have security. If we get a couple thousand people down here today, we are prepared.”

KOMI Chairman Damien Gaskin addressing some of the visitors.

Expressing hope that the excitement witnessed on the open day would carry through to the match days, Gaskin urged people to buy tickets in advance. 

“I hope people are excited. I hope people want to come out in their numbers and watch cricket,” he said. “We don’t have any West Indies games here in the group stage. We certainly hope to have them here in the Super Eight and once they make the Super Eight, they will play at Kensington Oval on June 21.”

Gaskin added that he was “more than happy” to showcase the work undertaken, which was funded by a $25 million loan from the African Export-Import Bank.

Cricket fan Veronica Johnson said she will be watching the action from her TV screen at home.

Many people who toured the facility reported that they were impressed with what they saw.

Mr Barbados Aidan Taylor and Mrs Barbados Lorn Bryan said the Oval looked “immaculate”.

“When I heard of the renovations, I wanted them to make the Oval nice and bright and welcoming to all the guests coming here. Now that I have seen what was done, I think it is immaculate and breathtaking; I just love the environment,” Bryan said with Taylor concurring.

Taylor said he would be attending the matches that the West Indies will play at the Oval, while Bryan said she would watch the games at home.

Suzette Hinds, who visited the facility with her friend Ann Hall, said: “I just love it. The last time I came down here it wasn’t like this; it has really improved.”

Hall said the grandstand stood out the most to her and she was impressed by the work.

A tuk band was part of the entertainment.

Annette Headley said she visited the Oval to see how the millions of dollars were spent and gave the result a thumbs up.

But all three women said they intended to watch the cricket at home.

A big cricket fan but just like many others, Veronica Johnson declared she would stay home to watch the matches. She said that it was only after visiting the Oval that she started to feel excited about the cricket showdown.

Josiah Callender said he and his family were going to watch some of the games live in the stands.

“I have been following cricket from the time I was a youngster playing in my neighbourhood with cans for stumps, so the game means a lot to me,” he said, impressed with the renovations.

A musical and cultural showcase welcomed the visitors to Kensington Oval on Wednesday.

Ryan Dunksman Best said he wanted to tour the Oval as it was widely talked about over the past weeks.

“I just toured the locker rooms so far and in there had look so sweet I had [felt] like hanging up my shirt in there,” he said.

Some of the renovations included new lighting, a grandstand with the capacity of 2 500 plus seats, refurbished bathrooms and dressing room facilities, as well as improvements to the field.

British visitor Al Ruxton said he was a lover of the great cricketing legends of Barbados and the Caribbean and visited the island regularly when international matches were played at the old Kensington back 20 years ago.

He said that he was pleased to see the many upgrades and showed Barbados TODAY several photos with him at the old and smaller Oval. He said his only disappointment was that he was leaving the island on Saturday before the tournament begins.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb