It will mark the first Test match hosted in St Lucia, the eighth territory in the Caribbean to have this privilege, and it will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the first Test played by the West Indies.

St Lucia has never produced a Test cricketer for West Indies - a fact which makes their investment in a new, state-of-the-art cricket stadium all the more remarkable. Those who have had the privilege of visiting the Beausejour Stadium have often remarked that it ranks right alongside venues in many other parts of the world.

St Lucia has set the standard for the rest of the Caribbean to follow and we know the same hard work that they have put into making the ground quite amenable for the three One-day Internationals they have hosted, they will put into making this Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka quite memorable.

The St Lucia Government, in collaboration with the St Lucia Cricket Association, has spared nothing in bringing the ground up to the mark and has also put systems in place to manage the stadium's affairs effectively to keep it in the forefront of international cricket in the region.

We hope that readers of this week's column who can make it to Castries or even thought about going to Castries for the match will make it to help usher the ground and St Lucia into Test cricket.

FITTING PLACE
That's why we believe it's a fitting place to start, to pay tributes to the men who gave birth to this wonderful legacy that is called West Indies cricket.

Under the theme: Uniting The Region, Exciting The World, the West Indies Cricket Board launched celebrations of the 75th anniversary of West Indies entry into Test cricket with a parade and brief ceremony during the lunch interval of the opening Cable & Wireless One-day International between West Indies and Sri Lanka at Bridgetown.