Glory on Grenada: A stunning place to watch cricket

The Spice Isle is the perfect place to enjoy a match, savour the appreciative noise of the crowd, and feel the luxurious warmth on your back

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Grenada is known as ‘the Spice Island’, and visitors agree that among the Caribbean destinations it has a unique vibe.

It’s a stunning place to watch cricket, and the locals have a sincere love of the game. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a match, savour the appreciative noise of the crowd, and feel the luxurious warmth on your back. The stadium is surrounded by mountains, with colourful small houses clinging to them like limpets. 

Members of the travelling press recall an unforgettable trip to the verdant mountainous rainforests, and the beaches with soft white and black sand and turquoise sea. Snorkelling to the Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park is an unforgettable experience. While the rum is of course fabulous, the food is just a bit different, spice and tropical flavours bound together seamlessly. Trying the national dish of ‘oil down’ – a salted meat and vegetable stew – is a must. Visitors get such great value for money from Grenada – all the tastes, sounds and sights of the Caribbean, with a spicy twist. 

When England last won a Test in Grenada, in 2014/15, Joe Root and James Anderson were the chief architects. Root’s 182 not out gave Alastair Cook’s side a first-innings lead of 165 runs, and Anderson played a big part in bowling the hosts out twice, with six wickets in the match. Stuart Broad (oh him as well) took five. Plus ça change. In fact, so good was Anderson’s display on the final morning that it was a surprise that he was not rewarded with the man-of-the-match award. It was the first overseas victory for England in more than two years, although they couldn’t hold on, losing the third and final Test at Barbados. 

On the face of it a nine-wicket triumph looks and sounds like a thrashing, but for large swathes of the game it was anything but. Buoyed by their defiance in the first Test at Antigua, the home batsmen appeared to be up for more of the same on a first day shortened by rain. 

The day was brightened up by the developing feud between Marlon Samuels and Ben Stokes. There would be more to come, but once Samuels completed his seventh Test hundred, Broad found the right rhythm and pace to take three wickets and hurry the innings towards a close. And yet there was nothing hurried about England’s pursuit of West Indies’ 299 first time around.

Openers Cook and Jonathan Trott took their time over half-centuries. Root scored yet another giant hundred, his fifth of 149 or more, his sixth overall and his first away. During his 182 not out, he passed 2,000 Test runs, the second youngest Englishman to do so. 

When Stokes was dismissed for 8, caught in the deep off Devendra Bishoo, a stony-faced Samuels removed his floppy hat, held it to his breast and offered a sombre salute to the passing Englishman, amusing many. Kraigg Brathwaite was the next man to take advantage of the docile pitch, reaching his fourth Test ton, which paved the way for a scoreline of 202 for 2 on the final morning to leave the draw looking likely. Anderson had other ideas, though, taking three wickets for one run, and a target of 143 was knocked off with relative ease by Gary Ballance and Cook.

PURE GRENADA – THE SPICE OF THE CARIBBEAN 

With fewer than 110,000 inhabitants and only 133 square miles of land, the tri-island state of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique appears almost invisible on the world map.

Despite its size, the island is widely known for its abundance of spices and unspoilt beauty. Grenada has the perfect balance for visitors, appealing to adventure lovers, beach dwellers and couples looking for a romantic destination. This English-speaking nation boasts some of the friendliest people in the Caribbean who are known for their natural penchant for welcoming, socialising, cooking and celebrating.

It is famous for its hospitality and vibrant culture, expressed through music, pageantry and poetry, dance and theatre, and of course sport, especially cricket. On this picturesque island, you can go for a swim in the crystal clear waters of Grand Anse Beach and trek through the rainforest of Seven Sisters Waterfalls, all within a day.

The Pure Grenada experience includes 40 white sandy beaches, 15 breathtaking waterfalls, five chocolate factories, three rum distilleries, and more than 30 unforgettable dive sites, including the largest shipwreck in the Caribbean ‘Bianca C’ and the World’s First Underwater Sculpture Park.

Things to look out for on Grenada...

Grand Anse Beach 

Grenada’s world famous beach, a silky stretch of sheltered white sand spanning two miles where visitors and locals enjoy stunning views of the capital. Nearby attractions include water sport specialists, hotels, restaurants and a vendors market which offers a variety of local products.

Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park 

This dazzling underwater gallery in the Molinere Beauséjour Marine Protected Area is the world’s first underwater sculpture park. The sculptures attract a stunning array of marine life, enjoying its varied topography of craggy gullies and sun-dappled sandy patches.

Belmont Estate Spice Plantation 

Situated just an hour’s scenic drive from St George’s, this plantation is one of five chocolate factories on the island, offering visitors the chance to gain a real and eco-friendly taste of Grenada. Immerse yourself in the island’s history, culture, flavours and traditions and enjoy a leisurely stroll tropical gardens.

To find out more about Pure Grenada, the Spice of the Caribbean, visit the website.