Faith in Providence pays off
Test Match Special
The Blog From the Boundary
By Adam Mountford - Five Live Cricket Producer
Guyana Chronicle
April 11, 2007
(BBC.CO.UK), Guyana - As I left the Providence Stadium for the final time at this World Cup, I said goodbye to one of the many staff who's been working at the ground over the past few weeks. Her name was Candace and every morning she'd greeted us with a smile when we arrived at the media centre.
She was really sad that the matches at Guyana had come to an end and told me: "I've been looking forward to being part of this fantastic event for years and I can't believe it’s gone so quickly."
Candace didn't have the most glamorous of roles, coming to work at 5.00am every morning to keep the media area clean and tidy and leaving just before midnight - but she loved being involved in Guyana's World Cup adventure.
"I'll be back running my food stall in Georgetown on Wednesday" she added, with an air of disappointment.
Overall, Candace and the thousands of others involved in the matches here at Providence should be really proud of what they've achieved over the past fortnight. When I arrived in Guyana all the talk was about the Super 8 matches maybe being moved to Jamaica because the ground wasn't ready and the weather was going to be terrible.
We heard horror stories about the local organising committee being replaced at the last minute, about the ground being without power for 12 days and about a whole host of logistical problems. But as I now look back on the six matches held here, things have run incredibly smoothly and the Guyana experience has been an enjoyable one.
There have been a few things to test the nerve of a TMS producer. When I was told the broadcast lines between Guyana and London had accidentally been severed the day before England's match here I was a little concerned to say the least. But somehow a way round it was found and we were able to broadcast following a last minute delivery of equipment from St Vincent.
It wasn't only technical issues that kept me a little on edge. Arlo White announcing that he was being flown around Guyana by 'Captain' Jonathan Agnew the afternoon before the Ireland-England match was a worry. I trust Aggers completely on the flight deck - but I'd rather two thirds of the commentary team had spent the day relaxing with a book rather than taking to the skies.
Then there was the concern created by - how do I put it delicately - the stomach problems experienced by Arlo and CMJ (Christopher Martin Jenkins) during the New Zealand v Ireland match. Both commentators had need to visit the toilet on numerous occasions during the match so I always had to have someone on stand-by in case the need arose during one of their 20 minutes at the mike.
But enough of that. Perhaps the overall highlight of the fortnight here was the crowds that came to the new stadium. After disappointing attendances at some venues we had really decent crowds for most of the games with the West Indies v Sri Lanka match attracting over 12,000.
It's true a lot of the crowd at some of the other games was boosted by bus loads of local schoolchildren - but much better that than empty seats.
And the six matches produced some great moments on the field and on the air.
1) There was Lasith Malinga's incredible four wickets in four balls to almost snatch victory for Sri Lanka against South Africa.
2) Jonathan Agnew enlisting the help of TMS listeners to identify the enormous insect which parked itself on the TMS commentary box window - fortunately on the outside of the glass.
3) During a press conference featuring Ireland captain Trent Johnston it was put to him that some teams were targeting matches against Ireland for easy wins. "We are targetting the match against Australia" he told us to great laughter.
4) The joy on Boyd Rankin's face when he dismissed former Ireland favourite Ed Joyce.
5) CMJ describing the moment that a small dog decided to enter the field of play and leave a small "present". As CMJ put it: "They've been planning the matches here for years, but they couldn't have made allowances for that."
6) The amazing and convincing victory by Bangladesh over South Africa which breathed life into the Super 8s and the tournament as a whole.
7) Guessing what was going to be said between the Irish O'Brien brothers after Niall ran out Kevin on 49!
8) TMS Summariser and Guyana legend Colin Croft modestly rejecting calls for the ground, or at the very least one of its ends, being named after him!
Finally as we left the ground, there were huge gatherings of people around the sea walls. It is a tradition at Easter time for people to get together and fly kites throughout the day and well into the evening.
With the live music and drink flowing, it was a great atmosphere - I only hope that Candace and her colleagues got out of the Providence stadium in time to enjoy it. They certainly deserve to.