Adrian Frater, News Editor
The ground staff at the new Trelawny multi-purpose stadium preparing the pitch for this Saturday's Capital and Credit one-day game between Trelawny and Westmoreland. The new seats in the background form the Jamaican flag. - Photo by Adrian Frater
Western Bureau:
THE NEW Trelawny multi-purpose stadium, which is earmarked for the opening ceremony of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, is poised to see its first action this Saturday when the venue hosts a Capital and Credit one-day game between Trelawny and Westmoreland.
The announcement about this weekend's game and other matters relating to the development of the multimillion-dollar facility were made during yesterday's walk-through tour of the facility by the developers and representatives of the Jamaica Local Organising Committee (LOC), ICC and Global Cricket Corporation (GCC).
"We can now confirm that not only is the field of play and the pitch ready and in immaculate condition, but that the work on the two stands are nearing completion," said Chris Smith, the venue development manager for Jamaica LOC, in stating that the venue is still on target to be completed ahead of the November 30 deadline.
Don Lockerbie, venue development manager for the ICC, who was a member of the tour party, said he, along the GCC personnel, were impressed with the state of the development, noting that the Trelawny venue was ahead of the other facilities being develop across the Caribbean region.
"We are quite pleased with the level of progress being made at this time as this stadium is the first stadium were new seating is now in place," said Lockerbie. "We are also pleased to see the keen attention that that has paid to the pitch and the outfield which are both in exemplary condition."
While the facility is steadily taking shape and now ready to host cricket, Lockerbie said the venue still had some way to go in terms of additional inspections before it is licensed to host World Cup matches.
Well ahead of schedule
"There will be another inspection in the first week of September when a top-level delegation from the ICC and GCC will be visiting the facility to get a first-hand view of the development," said Lockerbie. "There will be another tour in November with some 25 major stakeholders. After that we are expecting that the facility will be licensed."
While the representatives of COMPLANT, the Chinese firm responsible for the construction, were not prepared to give a specific date as to when the facility will be deemed complete, Smith said that with rendering, painting and tiling taking place and most of the finishing work now in progress, they were confident that work will be completed well ahead of schedule.
"We are in the middle of the rainy season so we are maintaining a very tight schedule," said Smith. "Over the next couple of weeks we are aiming for the substantial completion of all major external work activities."
