One cannot fully grasp the culture of Antigua without considering the island’s fierce devotion to cricket. The sport is played everywhere and at any time, though official matches tend to be held on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The cricket season lasts from January to July and is interspersed during most seasons with regional and international matches. The Antigua Recreation Ground, which became in 1980-81 the 52nd international test venue, is one of the most exciting places in the world to observe a match. The local crowd is extremely devoted to the game, and the facilities themselves are outstanding.
The most celebrated of Antigua’s sports legends, however, is Viv Richards, who ranks among the very greatest cricketers of all time. Richards’ international career lasted from 1974 to 1991, and during the middle years of that career the “Master Blaster” led a West Indian team that dominated world cricket. Richards is deservedly adulated on his home island today: his bat has been placed in the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, and Richards himself remains involved in the Antiguan, West Indian, and International cricket scene.<s
This is for testing purposes only