ST JOHN’S, Antigua — The West Indies Cricket Board today announced that International Cricket Council Pitch Consultant Andy Atkinson will conduct a workshop for Caribbean curators at the end of the month.

Each Territorial Board has been asked by the WICB to nominate the curators who will hold responsibilities for the preparation of the Test wickets in their respective territories. The nominees’ participation in the workshop, which will be held in Guyana, will be fully funded by the WICB.

The two-day training session, which is being hosted by the WICB, will be held on September 26th and 27th and Atkinson who has experience preparing wickets around the globe will be the lead presenter during what is expected to be a highly interactive engagement.

There have been many calls for some time from all quarters of the Caribbean for the WICB to address the issue of pitch preparation. The workshop was originally scheduled for earlier in the year but it had to have been postponed due to the unavailability of Atkinson.

Atkinson worked extensively in the Caribbean during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 and the ICC World Twenty20 2010.

Active Test venues in the Caribbean

Antigua – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds

Barbados – Kensington Oval

Dominica – Windsor Park

Grenada – Grenada National Stadium

Guyana – Guyana National Stadium

Jamaica – Sabina Park

St Kitts – Warner Park

St Lucia – Beausejour Cricket Grounds

St Vincent – Arnos Vale Sports Complex

Trinidad – Queen’s Park Oval

The two other venues where Test cricket was played in the Caribbean are the Antigua Recreation Ground and the Bourda Oval in Guyana.

West Indies commenced playing Test cricket on June 23rd, 1928 at Lord’s but the first Test match in the Caribbean was played at the Kensington Oval starting on January 11th, 1930. In that drawn match George Headley (176) and Clifford Roach (122) both scored hundreds.

Kensington or ‘The Mecca’ as it is widely regarded hosted the finals of the Cricket World Cup 2007 and the ICC World Twenty20 2010.

Queen’s Park Oval (57) has hosted more Test matches than any other venue in the Caribbean while Windsor Park is the Caribbean’s newest Test venue having hosted its first Test between West Indies and India earlier this year.

Bourda and the Guyana National Stadium at Providence are the only Test venues on the South American continent. Bourda was the venue for the first West Indies win in Tests which was achieved against England in 1930 (February 21 to 26) when Roach scored a double century in the first innings, Headley scored a century in both innings and Learie Constantine took nine wickets in the match including five for 87 in the second innings.