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A look at cricket grounds in Singapore.Filed under
Cricket Grounds
IMPORTANT NOTE :- Singapore won't be hosting any matches in India - Australia - West Indies tri series in September 2006. You are expected to read the following article accordingly as at the time I wrote it, Singapore were hosting first 4 matches of this tri series. Confusion regreted.
The article follows.... Out of an approximate total of 192 countries on earth, only 10 of them actively participate in cricket.. or may be only 9. Cricket controlling bodies (ICC as they are called) has been trying hard to increase that number to something significant so that more people know what exactly is a game of cricket.... and that is when a remote cricketing ground like "Kallang Ground" and "The Padang Ground" in Singapore gets the nod to host important one day Internationals - they will be hosting three matches in the tri-series between India, Australia and West Indies. So what exactly these Kallang and Padang cricket grounds are all about?? Let me help - Singapore became an associate member of ICC way back in 1947, but development in cricket has been at snails pace as nothing much happened for more than 50 years to suggest that cricket was on rise in Singapore... probably the same story with other countries were cricket is just a developing game.  But then, in 1993, Singapore launched a development program which resulted in a tri-series between India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 1996. Then they hosted another tri-series between India, Zimbabwe and West Indies in 1999 and their third cricket tournament in August 2000. This simply proves that even when not many cricket loving fans all over the World know about this country as a cricket playing nation, they have proved that they have the experience to please cricket spectators and someday, be yet another famous Neutral cricket venue - something like Sarjah in UAE. Anyways, staying on the topic, Kallang ground has 5 turf center wicket, good practice facilities as well as spectators stands along with few other necessary needfuls. But what is important is that they have the facility of Floodlights to hold a Day/Night ODI's and having hosted teams like India, South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand previously, their reputation is not bad at all. But what can be bad are the boundary lines. Singapore cricket grounds (both Kallang and the Padang) are quite small, very similar to all remote cricket grounds all over the world which are used for multiple reasons when cricket is not there. They have already hosted 9 ODI's and 5 ODI's previously and respectively with India playing 6 of them. Losing 4 of those one day Internationals, winning just one (that too against Zimbabwe) and no result for the final one. Sounds bad for an Indian supporter, isn't it?? As far as Weather is concerned, the best time to play cricket in Singapore is in the month of August and September when there is lot less rain around and 7 hours cricket matches can be completed. Some interesting facts on Kallang and Padang cricket grounds in Singapore. 1. It was at The Padang cricket ground in Singapore where Santh Jayasuriya, fresh from 1996 World Cup victory, smashed 4 consecutive sixes in an one over from Aamir Sohail (the captain) and eventually made the fastest century in One day Internationals at that time - off 48 balls.... it happened at The Padang cricket ground to be precise. 2. West Indies, the third team in the Tri-series involving India and Australia has never lost a ODI match at Singapore. They played 4 matches, won 3 and one ended with no result.
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