Queen's Park Oval

It is one of the oldest grounds in the Caribbean, having opened in 1896. The original pavilion was replaced during a major renovation in 1952, creating the two-tier structure that still defines the main stand. The concrete stand you see in the photographs was later renamed the Learie Constantine Stand during the rebuild for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. That tournament required urgent repairs following an earthquake in late February, so the work happened in pieces.

The surface is natural grass, a change from the clay pitch and matting used until 1954. But the history here belongs to the sport. The first Test match was played here in 1930, and the West Indies secured their first victory on this soil in 1935.

There is a memory of violence still attached to these seats. On January 28, 1960, a riot broke out during a Test match against England, and the stadium fell silent when bottles were thrown onto the pitch. A crowd of 30,000 was cited for that day.