Kallang Cricket Ground

The ground held its own. The pitch was natural grass. Inside, the seating was limited to a thousand souls. It was quiet in those seats until the ball struck the willow. Then the away end never stopped, their voices rising above the roar of traffic on the nearby highways. The senior members watched from the pavilion, a simple structure that offered little shelter but plenty of history.

It was not a grand arena. The capacity was modest, with grass slopes around the perimeter where fans sat shoulder to shoulder. It was quiet in those seats until the ball struck the willow. Then the away end never stopped, their voices rising above the roar of traffic on the nearby highways. The senior members watched from the pavilion, a simple structure that offered little shelter but plenty of history.

The ground hosted its first One-Day International matches in 1999. Since then, it saw many seasons. It was the home of the Singapore Cricket Association until 2016, when the lease was not renewed. The move was sudden, leaving the facility empty. It held tournaments for emerging teams, where young players ran riot and carved them open. In the final of the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup, India Under-23s defeated Pakistan Under-23s, the crowd sensing blood.

Now, the lights are switched off. The grass grows wild, and the city keeps moving around the empty plot. It is not a temple of sport, but it was a place where the game was played with a certain local intensity. The table goes out of the window in these games, but the ground remains a memory of when the cricket was played here. The stands are silent now, and the players have moved on to other venues.