Cricket fans across the island are being urged to turn up in their numbers this weekend as Dominica hosts, for the first time, International T-20 matches at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium.
The event has been described as ‘historic’ as the West Indies take on New Zealand.
“This is another historic event for Dominica, another milestone in the staging of cricket here in the Nature Island,” media liaison for the Dominica Cricket Association, Marie-Antoinette Mora said at a press conference on Wednesday. “Since we began hosting One Day Internationals and Tests match, now for the first time ever we will be staging T-20 Internationals. And that is an important because a lot of people are mixing it but with the One Days (international games). But this is the very first time that we are hosting the T-20 Internationals.”
According to Mora the country will also be demonstrating to the world that it is capable of hosting bigger games.
“This is our aim, to bring in large crowds enough to fill the stadium this Saturday and Sunday with the wider goal of showing the Caribbean and the world that we are worthy of hosting the biggest party in sport, the CPL (Caribbean Premier League),” she said. “There were six host countries last year and this year Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis will get a piece of the action. In 2015 Dominica want to get in on that action and it is going to be our test to see how we respond to T-20 and we want to respond in a big way. So we are inviting everyone to come in to the stadium to enjoy cricket, lovely cricket.”
Meantime the local police are urging residents to adhere to the rules and refrain from bringing along firearms, scissors, lighters and other forms of weapons, metal cutlery, illegal drugs to the Stadium.
They also noted that it will be a no smoking and no exit ( if you do, you would require to purchase another ticket).
Loubiere Water will not be allowed into the venue as the event is sponsored by Blue Waters of Trinidad and Kubuli Beer of Dominica.
“We are adopting a robust and diligent approach to ensure all patrons, visitors and cricket enthusiasts alike are safe and secure,” Superintendent of Police David Andrew said.
Citizens are also cautioned to enforce personal safety precautions when leaving their homes.
Traffic arrangements for the matches are as follows:
No parking on the northern side of Rose Street all the way up to Federation Drive
No parking on either sides of the Stadium Link Road, Valley Road from the Police Headquarters to Josephine Gabriel,
Traffic will be allowed on the western side of Elmshall Road only near the University of the West Indies Open Campus, on the eastern side of Dupigny lane, the southern side of Kennedy Avenue and southern side of Hillsborough street.
There will be no entry from Bath Road to the Stadium Link Road and the northern side Hillsborough Street and Kennedy Avenue.
You know what? I will stay at home and watch the World Cup instead with my Loubiere water. More refreshing, more exciting, more comfortable, cheaper and less hassle.
Admid: Stop publishing these long comments. I just hope the Police will be patroling Roseau and the surrounding Stadium during these events.
I was looking forward to going. Not now though. I too will be staying away. I am not allowed to leave the grounds or I have to repay to get back in. I do not wish to buy my beer or food at the stadium. I want a choice has to where I spend my hard earned money thank you. This is also totally unfair on the bars, vendors and restaurants in town. They are being denied the chance to earn a living.
If we are allowed to bring in all our fried chicken, beers and water, will the vendors make enough to pay for the expensive stalls? We also complain about lack of sponsors for our carnival queen contestants, yet we fight against those who sponsor an enormous undertaking like this. If we want international cricket, we have to allow the sponsors some return on their money. Loubiere water can use the event to advertise and the populace can support them by purchasing our local water at every given opportunity.
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!! Do not chase away the sponsors! A small population like ours would have to pay more at the gate to make the game financially viable.
Man de way u doing, is as if stadium cricket is an essential item like food and shelter. Dominican will survive very well if cricket does not come here. for that matter, due to to subsidies government has to give to cricket, it cost the the country more that it makes.
You are wrong, my friend. The economy benefits tremendously. The hotels, the meals, gas, taxi, security, cleaners, airport fees, VAT on Trinidad water, beers, rum, coke and their employees, benefit. The government may not pocket the profit but the economy gets a boost. The Brazilian government will not collect the billions spent on subsidies but the economy makes hundreds of billions.
That is great for all in DA.thanks again to DLP
Next year it will be bigger
The only disappointment is that Shane is not playing I know he is not a T20 player but I think the West Indies board should have used wisdom and bring him in ,I think that the crowed would be bigger and dominica’s woulld have been pround
let me get this straight. you said that you know that Shane is not a T20 player but that WICB should have used wisdom and bring him in?? where the hell is the wisdom in your statement? where? i have gone in search of a flashlight to help me find it.
Preacher I love my cricket, I love my Dominica but to suggest that these matches are organised by your favourite political party is plain crazy. Are they paying for everything? That is ridiculous. next hing you are telling us we must all turn up in red.
i’m not allowed to bring my LOCAL WATER in the stadium? you all must be mad. I am lodging my own personal demonstration and stay away from the stadium. I will not be told that I cannot walk into the stadium with a bottle of loubriere water. You guys must be crazy.
there is something called sponsorship rights. the ignorance on here never fails to impress.
Who said that you are not allowed to bring your own water to the stadium? I find that strange. Can they force you to drink the water they supply?
I’m not allowed to bring MY LOC
Consider how many of us abroad would love to attend this historical cricket match. Can’t be in two places at the same time but our hearts will be there.
Hope and pray for a beautiful, sunny day and also with cloudless skies. This helps to make their visit and game enjoyable; the latter, no exception for you, the spectators.
I hope many of you decide to attend. Welcome them and show them how much you love cricket which you do. Impress them with your attendance, interest and best behavior. In so doing, you can rest assured that more such matches will take place in D/ca.
Those who are concerned that D/ca’s natural spring water is excluded, probably next time. This was obviously prearranged, a long time ago.
Take into consideration that this visit may be a first for “those important people” and they do not know what type of water Dominica has. Excuse them this time around.
While in D/ca they should be informed of the N.S.W. so that the next time they will get a taste of it. They should be given a few bottles as gifts.
Cricket lovely cricket. Enjoy the game. Be mindful of the comraderie, discipline and adherence to the rules and laws of the game, amidst the excitement.
Cricket will expose the social and cultural extravaganza of the people in our lovely sub-tropical setting. But amidst all the fanfare and excitement, witness the fairplay, the level-playing field, the competitive nature of the players. Most of all, set your eyes on the efforts of all players ro adhere to the Laws of the game.
Bowlers are penalized for bowling no-balls. Captains are fined for slow over rates. Captains of any team cannot dictate to or influence the umpire’s decision.
In the worst circumstances , players have been brought before the courts and fined, suspended, jailed or even banned for illegal acts – disobeying the laws of the game, for fraud, match and spot-fixing.
The ICC is very strict in ensuring that the Laws are adhered to and the cricket is not brought into disrepute. Anybody who disobeys the rules are dealt with accordingly. whether it is a top class batsman/bowler or administrator.
Imagine an umpire being paid, by an agent, to rule unfairly, to ensure the agent’s team wins? The other team appeals vociferously, shouts for LBWs several times, batsman is struck straight in front. Umpire rules, Not Out.
Imagine a bowler being paid, by an agent, to bowl no-balls at a certain time of the game.
Imagine Batsman ‘skinny’ is given out, LBW, by the umpire. The batsman refuses to accept the umpire’s decision and refuses to go down. should he obey the Law and walk down, even he feels he is not out?
Should the players obey the RULES and LAWS of cricket or allowed to do as they please?
What about regard for and obeying the Laws the Constitution, the rules of the Land? Isn’t that important too? Think of it. We would want the players to obey the rules, be disciplined and perform satisfactorily. Yet, it is OK for a few to disregard, disobey all kinds of Laws, because of their status and wealth and power?
Be guided by the good attributes of that game cricket that we love with a passion.
I thought of making a comment until I read your last sentence before the last which is out of place in this article and has no bearing on it. In view of this, you spoilt your entire comment.
the sentence before the last.
how much are the tickets?
She doesn’t have to tell Dominicans twice. We have a big cricket fan base here. Numbers should be the least of our worries. It’s foreigners getting to Dominica that’s the issue.
I read on the previous article that a few stated if Shane and the other one are not playing they will not attend. I hope they change their minds; that they are not serious about what they stated.
I telling you!!! Cricket in Dominica is a party for us every year. we don’t miss!!
When I resided in D/ca, it was always a treat to attend with my friends, also schools and inter-schools tournaments from the other islands. Those were fun days in D/ca.
Today, now that you have a beautiful, big stadium, you have some from the bigger countries. They have heard of it and all want to play there. This shows the excellent reviews the Dominica Windsor Park Stadium gets. You should be proud of it.
I hope all D/cans will be hospitable towards them that they may be encouraged to visit again. It is good for the economy. Always remember, the first impression is a lasting one.
Small Island treatment, I noticed with deep concern during the just concluded test matches hosted by the so called bigger Country. The crowd turn out was horrible! suffice to say, some might say that those so called bigger countries are already established venues and they command the attention of the West Indies cricket officials, that as it may we in Dominica are drilled and massaged over and over to produced hugged crow turn out to the games, bare in mind we boast of a population of approx… 70 thousand people. Go figure, I am not advocating boycotting the matches, no not at all, .I will be attending the games myself”. cause of my love for the game and past participation playing the game at a high level. But we should let the powers that control cricket know in no uncertain terms that we belong and staging all forms of the game with our track record we should not be made to feel is a favor they are granting us. after all the only difference between us and them is most have an international airport. Other than we can roll with the big shots let them remember that! the commentators were tongue tied and never express disappoint over the small crowds at the earlier games. Thou we always deliver, lets hope the do not kill us if for some unforeseen reason{S}the games are not well attended. ie the impending storm might rain on our cricket. lets see going forward ho we are treated for future matches. Good luck with the weather, and lets show them that we small but we can do better than they do. The truth offends but speak it anyway.
There is a cost to enter the grounds and to view the match. D/cans should have been advised early enough so that they could make plans to attend.
there has NEVER been international cricket with poor turn out? This is the most incorrect statement ever…. the turn outs are always above expectations. Do you even see the other matches that are televised?
Let’s go West Indieeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssss!!! Well Dominicans, y’all know what y’all got to do on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Our own natural spring water not allowed? How can that be. Govt. don’t want to promote our own and they making so much noise about our water being so plentiful and so good. Sorry fellows but that is foolish own goal you scoring. I don’t blame Fine Foods, good luck to them, is their own money they spending but I blame you all for having myopia.
People, don’t buy your ticket yet. There will be plenty of seats and Mano and his Hon. friend will lower the price, or even let some people in free because they don’t want empty seats to show on T.V. at all trust me.
About the seats, you made me laugh. If they want to secure a good seat, to get a good view, they should arrive early.
Dominicans arriving early, early you say? Lady you have been away from our country too long. Tardiness is our trademark and the country would not be the same without it. Don’t you know most of us wearing a watch for decoration only! relax and enjoy your crickit, never mind if you come late. It’s the atmosphere that takes us.
they will be selling water inside. that happen in all big international games. Since after the terrorist attack, there has been restrictions on liquids. So go in with ur money to get water. The Dominica`s water will be on sale at the stadium
Oh no it wont. The Trinidad water has the exclusivity. They paid for that right so no other bottled water allowed.
This is true. This terrorism has affected especially every democratic country of the world. Those people have put us through to mention one, a lot of inconvenience and continue to do so. This is here to stay. The world is not what it was in those good old days. We have to be on our P’s and Q’s and take all sorts of precautions.
I suppose in bringing their water, they are ensuring that their teams and entourage remain healthy by drinking their own approved water, if you know what I mean.
ignorance at its best…. I can even guess who you are
People like you that keeps back any country from moving forward. It would have been better if you had kept silent than to author these follish words. For once please understand when you read,before authoring any more follishness.
It’s not me that is promoting foreign, imported bottled water instead of our own. So who is holding back the development of our couuntry??
stop being negative.
I really must ask myself. Who is negative here? The commentator observing a fact or the organisers for giving exclusive rights to a bottled water from Trinidad instead of ,our own. I think that is a fair question.
wish i could like this comment again n again
how foolish you sound
how the person sounding foolish you think it is rite for our own water not to be sold or allowed in the stadium you think it is rite for chris gayle to sit out this two day series and say he resting for the test are you even a dominican who cares about these things so please just shut the hell up if u have nothing constructive to bring to this forum
your the one sounding foolish idiottttt
I agree with anonymous comment about not having our Loubiere Water at the stadium. That is a complete shame on the organizers and the government. What happen we do not support our own, here we are boasting that Loubiere spring water is the best in the world and we cannot even have it at an international crickets game.. Something is wrong here.. I would say more but DNO will not post my comment so let me stop.