WWT20 venue profile: Guyana National Stadium
The fixtures for the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 have been announced, with the Guyana National Stadium set to host 11 of them. Though only having been built fairly recently in order to host matches in the men’s Cricket World Cup 2007, it has already seen its fair share of history, and expanded to hosting far more than just cricket.
Situated in Providence, about 10km south of Georgetown, Guyana’s capital, the ground is most famous for bearing witness to, so far, international cricket’s only ‘double hat-trick’, as Lasith Malinga struck four times in four balls in the 2007 CWC to reduce South Africa, chasing 210 to win, from 206/5 to 207/9, and almost snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Perhaps the most stunning individual performance at the ground was provided by Shahid Afridi, who dismantled Windies with bat and ball to almost single-handedly win an ODI with one of the greatest all-round performances of all time.
His stellar outing started with bat in hand, when he was the only one to get to grips with a tricky pitch and rescued Pakistan from the depths of 47/5. He accounted for 76 runs of his 120-run partnership with the sedate Misbah-ul-Haq by himself, his runs coming off just 55 balls and including five sixes. He was far from done, snaring an astonishing 7/12 in nine overs with his leg-breaks, totting up three maidens, as Pakistan completed a 126-run win.
Another legend who has enjoyed the ground is Mahela Jayawardene, who glided to a gorgeous 100 from just 64 balls against Zimbabwe in the World T20 2010, coming hot on the heels of a beautiful 81 made against New Zealand at the same ground in the same tournament. They are the two highest individual scores in T20Is at the ground.
The ground has hosted international football and rugby sevens, as well as being the home of Caribbean Premier League team Guyana Amazon Warriors. Only two international women’s games have been played there in the past, as part of the 2011 series between Windies and Pakistan. Each side won a game, and the second was a thriller, with both sides finishing on 72 before the Windies won the super over. Hopefully there will be more of that at this year’s Women’s World T20!
**Fixtures:**9 November: New Zealand v India, Australia v Pakistan, Windies v Q1
11 November: India v Pakistan, Australia v Q2
13 November: Pakistan v Q2, Australia v New Zealand
15 November: India v Q2, New Zealand v Pakistan
17 November: India v Australia, New Zealand v Q2