The Queen's Park Oval is a sports stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, used mostly for cricket matches. It opened in 1896. Privately owned by the Queen's Park Cricket Club, it is currently the second largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies with seating for about 20,000 spectators.

It has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean with 60 as of January 2018, and has also hosted a number of One-Day International (ODI) matches, including many World Series Cricket games in 1979, and matches of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The Trinidad and Tobago cricket team play most of their home matches at the ground, the ground first hosted a Test match in February 1930 when England toured the Caribbean, though it had previously hosted many first class tours as early as the 1897 tour under Lord Hawke. The pavilion dates back to 1896, though there were extensive renovations in the 1950s and in 2007, prior to the World Cup and following an earthquake. The "Concrete Stand" was renamed the "Learie Constantine Stand" in recognition of that former West Indies cricketer. The first ODI match at the ground was in March 1983, and the first Twenty20 International in 2009. The natural soil at the ground prevented turf wickets from being laid down, due to the damage caused by the mole crickets that inhabited it so, when the club moved to its new ground, the groundsmen laid a pitch of clay with a wicket made of matting laid on top. Only a few days later on February 1 the ground's maiden first-class fixture took place between Trinidad and the same Lord Hawke's XI. The home team won by 137 runs. The two teams met at the Oval again on 5 February, when Trinidad were victorious once more. Arthur Priestley's touring eleven then played a Queen's Park XI on February 12, with the game drawn.

During the first decades of the 20th century, the private Queen's Park Oval was a very exclusive cricket ground and club. C. L. R. James records that "they were for the most part white and often wealthy" and that "a black man in the Queen's Park was rare and usually anonymous." The Queen's Park club was "the big shot" of the local cricket on the island, and touring matches were the mainstay of cricket at the ground for the first few years. They also contributed to the growth of cricket on the island, for trial matches were held on weekends while a tour was in progress, and local talent was invited to play. In April 1899, Trinidad played a Barbados-based XI led by Arthur St. Hill, an early domestic West Indian fixture. These became more and more frequent in the first decade of the 20th century, along with more tour games against the invitational XIs of Richard Bennett and Lord Brackley. Harry Ince scored 167 in the West Indian first innings, Richard Ollivierre took a five-wicket haul and Joseph Rogers took a six-for as the MCC slid to a heavy defeat. The match was the first between the West Indies and the MCC to have taken place at the Queen's Park Oval. Though cricket was largely interrupted by World War I, normal practice resumed with the ground hosting the Inter-Colonial Tournament finals in 1921, 1925 and 1929. The ground also hosted the Second Test of the 1935 tour, which started on 24 January. The match saw the West Indies record its first Test match victory at the ground, defeating Bob Wyatt's England by 217 runs. Between the Tests, the ground had also hosted several of the first-class matches played during the tour, as well as continuing to host matches in the Inter-Colonial Tournament, including the 1935 and 1937 finals. In 1952, the original pavilion was replaced with a two-tier structure as part of an extensive renovation of the ground. Everton Weekes scored 206 of the runs, the second of two double centuries scored by him at the Oval, following a knock of 207 during the aforementioned tour by India. This was the final match played on the clay surface with matting laid on top.

From then on, turf wickets were prepared in an attempt to balance batting and bowling at the venue. Later that year, the ground hosted the second Test of an Australian tour. Wisden called the match one of the "most dramatic Test matches for many years" and labelled the disorder "unfortunate" and "remarkable", noting that the situation "became so bad that a riot developed." Officials of the ground and the West Indies team had to apologise to the MCC, as had the Governor of Trinidad, Eric Williams and Learie Constantine. The match resumed and England went on to victory, and took the series 1:0. India returned to the West Indies 1961 and played two further Tests at the Oval.

The Beaumont Cup competition was held at the Queen's Park Oval from 1958 onwards and, from 1964, the Regional Four Day Competition also began, with the ground hosting Trinidad home games for both competitions. Australia returned to the ground in 1965 for the Second and Fifth Tests of the tour. The latter saw a heavy West Indian defeat. However, across the series they were victorious 2–1 in what Wisden called the "series for the unofficial championship of the world."

The West Indian first-class domestic tournament, renamed the Shell Shield, continued at the ground in the winter of 1965. England under Colin Cowdrey returned in January 1968 and a generous declaration by Gary Sobers allowed England to win and level the series. That was followed by a tour by India in 1971. Gavaskar would go on to make a total of four centuries at the ground, the most by any player. The bowling analysis of 9/95 by West Indian Jack Noreiga was also made during the same tour and remains the best bowling analysis at the Queen's Park Oval.

New Zealand returned that winter, followed by an Australian tour over the winter of 1972–73. The utilisation of aggressive fast bowlers such as Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson had inspired West Indian captain to bring into his team men of similar virtues. In the 1976 Indian tour of the West Indies, the Queen's Park Oval hosted the Second and Third Tests. The West Indians played Andy Roberts and Michael Holding in both games, though India played well enough to draw the first and win the second of these fixtures. Their victory in the second involved a record 406-run fourth innings to chase the West Indies total down. Several of these games would be hosted at the ground each season.

Pakistan toured the West Indies in 1977, by which time the hosts were becoming a major force in world cricket. For the next decade the team would win 40 and lose only six Tests. The Second and Fourth Tests of the 1977 Pakistan tour were both at the Queen's Park Oval, and the West Indians comfortable took the former thanks to 8/29 by pacer Colin Croft, supported by Roberts and Joel Garner. Further success came in 1978 when two Tests against Australia at the ground both saw heavy West Indian victories. The First Test of the series saw Australia routed for 90 in their first innings by Garner, Croft and Roberts and a defeat to the hosts by an innings and 106 runs. A six-wicket-haul by Vanburn Holder in the Fourth Test of the series, also at the Queen's Park Oval, ensured another West Indian victory. With World Series Cricket (WSC) commencing a West Indies tour in 1979, the third "Supertest" was held at the Queen's Park Oval. With centuries from Bruce Laird and Greg Chappell, the Australian WSC team secured victory.

In 1981 the Queen's Park Oval hosted England and saw West Indian victory by an innings, followed by a draw against India in 1982. The first One-Day International at the ground took place between India and the West Indies in March 1983, with the hosts taking a comfortable victory. Australia, New Zealand and England all visited the ground for Test and ODI games during 1985 and 1986, faring poorly. and with 66 wickets Ambrose remains the most successful bowler there.

West Indian decline, 2007 World Cup

By the late 1990s the West Indian team had begun to decline. It was defeated by Australia in a 1994–95 series, the Third Test of which was played at the Queen's Park Oval, as were two of the ODI matches. The West Indian captain during the match, Brian Lara, went on to be the leading run scorer at the Queen's Park Oval in ODI matches, as well as hold record for the highest score made there. The West Indies lost heavily again to Australia at the ground in 1999, by a margin of 312 runs. The retirement of Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in 2001 further hampered West Indian efforts, and they were defeated at the Queen's Park Oval by South Africa in March, and India in August 2001. They were likewise defeated in ODI matches at the ground by both sides. amid complaints about the quality of the pitch from England players. The West Indies also suffered at the hands of South Africa during ODI matches played at the ground. An earthquake in late February that measured 5.1 on the Richter magnitude scale caused damaged to the fledgling stands. Work which had due to be completed by December 2006 dragged into the spring of the following year, with opening matches of the competition due to start in March. Nevertheless, the new pavilion was unveiled in time for the matches. The ground was celebrated as "the only venue in the West Indies, and one of four in the world to host more than 50 Test matches and 51 ODIs" during a ceremony to open the new stands. Once the tournament had gotten underway, several Group B matches were played at the Queen's Park Oval between teams such as Bermuda, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. These matches included a score of 413/5 by India against Bermuda on March 19, which remains the highest total made in an ODI at the Queen's Park Oval. None of the final stage games were played at the ground, with the Super Eight stages all being played at either the Providence Stadium or the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Post-World Cup years

Tests

thumb|right|200px|Stands and the scoreboard at the Oval in 2004.

Following the end of the World Cup, the Queen's Park Oval has had a sporadic allotment of international cricket. Since 2007 there has been six test matches the most recent of which was the infamous washed out match held in August 2016 against India. That match was notable for the third shortest non-abandoned test ever, with the match being curtailed by a wet outfield which allowed for only twenty two overs to be bowled over the five days despite rain not falling for the majority of the match.

Test matches were not allocated to the ground for 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 which prompted a reaction from Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Association President Azim Bassarath, who stated that "we in T&T need to have Test matches here so that our young and developing players can get a taste of the best form of the game.". In 2010 due to the arrest of Christopher "Dudus" Coke and subsequent social unrest and deteriorating security situation in Kingston, Jamaica the 1st South Africa/West Indies test match that was initially allotted to Sabina Park was relocated to Trinidad.

ODIs

In the years following the 2007 World Cup the Queen's Park Oval has had a sporadic allotment of ODIs, with no matches being played there in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The ground last hosted ODIs in June 2017 when two matches against India were played there. In that period of time the ground did host its first Twenty20 International, against England as a one-off match. The hosts defeated England comfortably thanks largely to a score of 59 from 46 balls by Ramnaresh Sarwan, which leaves him to date the highest scorer and most prolific run-maker at the ground in T20 Internationals. The ground hosted another Twenty20 International against Zimbabwe in February 2010 and against India in 2011. No Twenty20 Internationals has been played since.

Domestic Cricket

The ground hosts domestic First Class, List A and T20 matches, and the ground has hosted these matches.

The formation of the Caribbean Premier League has given the QPO a new tenant - The Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel and the ground has hosted Red Steel league matches in each of the three seasons as well as the semifinals and finals of the 2013 and 2015 editions of the CPL. For the 2016 CPL season the QPO will host home matches for the Trinbago Knight Riders who replaced the Red Steel in the tournament when the ownership changed.

Facilities and pitch

thumb|Queens Park Oval looking eastward towards the Brian Lara Pavilion, Carib Stand and Trini Posse Stand - Trinidad and Tobago vs Barbados Regional 50 overs game

In preparation for the 2007 World Cup there were significant renovations that took place at the Oval with the provision of several new facilities and buildings, as well as upgrades to existing infrastructure. According to a CricInfo review of the new ground on the eve of the World Cup, it featured a "library and museum space on the ground floor, as well as a top class health, spa, gymnasium and restaurant facilities, and an entertainment centre with satellite TV and other comforts."

The pitch has two ends, the Pavilion End and Media Centre End. The Media Centre End was renamed in 2011 to the Willie Rodriguez End in honour of the former Queen's Park and Trinidad and Tobago player. Natural turf was used in the early years however Mole crickets caused too much damage on the original pitch which was laid directly onto the natural soil, so soon after the ground was purchased a pitch of clay was laid over a wicket made of coir matting. A 1932 study into cricket pitches ruled that clay pitches lacking in calcium carbonate were ideal for cricket play. Even the new pitch was, however, according to a 1982 report, "well known of its peculiar playing characteristics." while England captain Nasser Hussain was negative about batting on the pitch during the 2004 England tour in his biography Playing With Fire.

Records

Test matches

Batting

  • Highest total: 681/8d by the West Indies against England, 17 May 1954.
  • Highest score: 220 by Indian Sunil Gavaskar, 13 April 1971.

One-Day Internationals

Batting

  • Highest total: 413/5 by India against Bermuda, 19 March 2007.
  • Most runs: 1,276 by West Indian Brian Lara.

Bowling

  • Most wickets: 24 by West Indian Curtly Ambrose.
  • Best bowling figures (innings): 6/25 by New Zealander Scott Styris.

Twenty20 Internationals

Batting

  • Highest total: 159/6 by India against the West Indies, 4 June 2011.
  • Lowest total: 79/7 by the West Indies against Zimbabwe, 28 February 2010.
  • Most runs: 111 by West Indian Marlon Samuels on 20 July 2009.
  • Best bowling figures (innings): 5/26 by West Indian Darren Sammy.

Local Art

Around the exterior walls of the Oval (also known as The Wall Project) are large sized prints of works by artists who paint in different medium, such as oil and watercolor. These prints have been placed on the exterior the walls since around 1985 and display abstract works, cultural and nature inspired scenes. Over time, some of the works which have been displayed have been changed to accommodate either a new artist or a new piece of art.

Nelson Mandela Park

To the side of the Nelson Mandela Park which is closest to Serpentine Road are three pieces of art which have been placed there by Digicel after the pieces were selected as the winning pieces of the competition launched to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the City of Port of Spain.

References

;Notes

;Sources

  • Official Website
  • Queen's Park Oval Profile from CricInfo
  • Queen's Park Oval Profile from CricketArchive