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| Daren Sammy Cricket Ground | |
|---|---|
| Name | Daren Sammy Cricket Ground |
| Nickname | Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet Cricket Ground |
| Country | Saint Lucia |
| Location | Gros Islet, Saint Lucia |
| Established | 2002 |
| Seating capacity | 15,000 |
| Owner | Government of Saint Lucia |
| Operator | Windward Islands Cricket Board |
| Ends | Pavilion End, River End |
| Tenants | West Indies cricket team, St Lucia Kings |
Daren Sammy Cricket Ground is an international cricket stadium located in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. The venue serves as a home ground for the West Indies cricket team and hosts domestic and franchise matches for teams such as the St Lucia Kings and the Windward Islands cricket team. The ground has staged matches for tournaments including the ICC Cricket World Cup, the ICC World Twenty20 and the Caribbean Premier League.
The stadium was developed in the early 2000s under initiatives involving the Government of Saint Lucia, the Windward Islands Cricket Board, and private stakeholders following regional sporting investment trends set by venues like Queen's Park Oval and Kensington Oval. It opened for international fixtures soon after construction, aligning with the scheduling of tours by teams such as England cricket team, Australia national cricket team, India national cricket team, Pakistan national cricket team, and South Africa national cricket team. Major upgrades prior to global events mirrored improvements undertaken at Sabina Park and Antigua Recreation Ground to meet ICC standards. The ground was later renamed to honour a prominent West Indies captain.
Situated near Rodney Bay and the town of Gros Islet, the venue is positioned on the northern tip of Saint Lucia close to landmarks including Pigeon Island National Landmark and the Castries urban center. Facilities include a main pavilion, corporate boxes similar to those at Eden Gardens, media centres equipped for broadcasters like Sky Sports, ESPNcricinfo correspondent facilities, practice nets comparable to Lord's MCC nets, and floodlights used for day-night fixtures like fixtures at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium. The site integrates dressing rooms, medical rooms, anti-doping facilities aligned with protocols by WADA during events governed by ICC.
The ground was renamed to commemorate Daren Sammy, a Saint Lucian cricketer and former captain of the West Indies cricket team noted for leading victories in global tournaments. The naming reflects precedents such as stadiums named after figures like Sir Vivian Richards and Brian Lara. The dedication highlights regional pride comparable to honours for Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and it has symbolic resonance across the Caribbean Community and among supporters from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and Antigua and Barbuda.
The venue has hosted One Day Internationals involving teams including Sri Lanka national cricket team, New Zealand national cricket team, West Indies cricket team, and touring sides from Zimbabwe national cricket team. It has staged Twenty20 Internationals and was a selected venue during editions of the ICC World Twenty20 that featured squads such as England cricket team, Pakistan national cricket team, Bangladesh national cricket team, and Afghanistan national cricket team. Domestically, the ground serves CPL franchises such as St Lucia Zouks (rebranded as St Lucia Kings) and regional first-class fixtures in the Regional Four Day Competition with teams like Guyana Jaguars and Trinbago Knight Riders appearing as visitors.
Notable international records at the ground include centuries and five-wicket hauls recorded by players from teams like West Indies cricket team, India national cricket team, England cricket team, Australia national cricket team, and Sri Lanka national cricket team. Bowling performances comparable to achievements at Kensington Oval and [ [Queen's Park Oval are part of the venue's statistical ledger maintained by sources such as ESPNcricinfo and ICC match archives. The ground has seen significant T20 strike rates during Caribbean Premier League matches featuring players like Kieron Pollard, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, and Dwayne Bravo.
Major events have included group-stage matches during ICC tournaments where teams such as Australia national cricket team, England cricket team, Pakistan national cricket team, South Africa national cricket team, and India national cricket team competed. The stadium has hosted charity matches involving personalities like Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Shane Warne, and regional legends from Windward Islands. Infrastructure upgrades for televised events involved partnerships with broadcasters including Sky Sports and ESPN, and the venue has been used for cultural and community events tied to festivals in Saint Lucia similar to functions held at Beausejour Stadium and regional arenas.
Access to the ground is commonly via the main arterial routes connecting Gros Islet to Castries including transport nodes served by local bus operators and taxi services that operate between landmarks such as Rodney Bay Marina and George F. L. Charles Airport. International visitors often arrive through Hewanorra International Airport or George F. L. Charles Airport and travel by hire car or shuttle services similar to event logistics used for venues like Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Parking, pedestrian access, and shuttle pick-up points are coordinated for match days in consultation with local authorities and event organisers including the Cricket West Indies administration.
Category:Cricket grounds in Saint Lucia