There are so many great locations to watch cricket in the Caribbean, but
a particular favourite is Antigua.
I have a lot of history with the island — it's where I broke two world records, including the first quadruple century in Test history, so it's somewhere I'll always cherish. The Antigua Recreation Ground is in the centre of the capital, St John's — it's small, beautiful and has the most amazing atmosphere. It's been sidelined by the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, but in my eyes it's still the best.
I have a second home in Barbados, so I know the island
well. Just outside Bridgetown is
The Kensington Oval, which is highly recommended for a great day out. It's often referred to as
the mecca of cricket and has
been home to Pickwick CC since 1882. It has become one of the Caribbean's most impressive grounds. It hosted the first England touring side (1895), the first combined West Indies side
(against Marylebone Cricket Club
in 1910-11) and was host to the West Indies' first Test in 1930.
Entertaining other players was always part and parcel of what
I did, and, even though we played against each other, opposing
teams always socialised together. And Barbados is a great place to celebrate after a match. You'll
find a massive crowd at the
Carlisle Bay harbour during the cricket season, usually at The Boatyard or Harbour Lights.
Bajans are very knowledgeable about sport, and incredibly passionate, too, so it's an excellent venue to listen to the crowd. The place to stay is the Accra Beach Hotel on the south coast. It's right by the sea and you can watch cricket being played on the beach.
The Grenada National Stadium was rebuilt for the
Cricket World Cup in 2007 and
this state-of-the-art ground is
loved by cricket fans, players
and commentators alike.
Of course, playing in front of my home crowd in Trinidad was always very special and, although The Queen's Park Oval wasn't necessarily my most successful ground, it was definitely somewhere where I looked
forward to playing. Trinidad and Tobago is the real place to party after a match. If you like clubs, check out Zen and 51 Degrees
in Trinidad's Port of Spain, or
head to Trotters, where you'll
find all the famous cricketers
and commentators.
But it's not just about cricket.
The Trinidadian landscape really stands out from the rest of the Caribbean. One of the most beautiful drives stretches along
the north shore, and you can
see the coastlines of both Trinidad
and Tobago at the same time.
Travel from Port of Spain to
Maracas or Las Cuevas for the fantastic scenery. And look
out for birds and butterflies;
the islands are home to hundreds of species. We're at the forefront
of eco-tourism as well as cricket.
Brian Lara holds the record for
the highest individual score in
first-class cricket at 501 not out,
the only quintuple hundred in
cricket history.
