The turnout at yesterday’s match between the English team and newcomers Ireland was even better than that for Wednesday’s opening game. There were over 6,000 cricket fans in the stadium yesterday.
Guyana Local Organising Committee Finance Manager Chetram Ramdihal told Stabroek News that just about 7,300 tickets were sold for yesterday’s match. By the lunch break yesterday 5,268 spectators had placed their tickets in the turnstiles.
By lunch time during Wednesday’s match between South Africa and Sri Lanka just about 4,000 spectators had entered the stadium.
Chief Executive Officer of the LOC Karan Singh said 100 or more tickets for tomorrow’s game between home team West Indies and Sri Lanka were expected to become available through returns from some of the sponsors. He advised that members of the public keep a steady check online at www.cricketworldcup.com or with the ticketing office at 91 Middle Street, Georgetown for these tickets. Some were expected to be returned by today.
Asked about the high and low points in the general administration at the stadium today, Singh said there were only minor technical glitches relating to electronic and plumbing matters but they were sorted out as they emerged. The high points included the increase in the sale of tickets for yesterday’s match, the fact that the tickets for tomorrow’s match are almost sold out and even though the stands were not filled there was a group of excited fans that kept energy levels up.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Rudolph Cummings said so far there have been no major health related incidents. He said one spectator who checked in at the medical centre was found to have high blood pressure and opted to leave the match. There are eight medical centres around the concourse of the stadium.
Apart from that, he said staff, volunteers and visiting journalists have reported blisters and foot infections mainly from their non-stop walking.
As of yesterday, there were no problems of dehydration, which he had feared because of the warm, humid conditions, but he repeated the caution to spectators to keep rehydrating as much as possible.
The volunteers have kept up their high standard of service so much so that when this reporter left a cellular telephone in one of the dining areas it was picked up by a watchful volunteer and subsequently recovered in the Lost-and-Found area.
Fans on the Grass Mound were better prepared than on Wednesday and a number of umbrellas advertising a cellular service provider were noticeably absent yesterday. Fans told this newspaper that they were better equipped for sun or rain. Some had squares of tarpaulin, which they sat on, and which they said if rain came would provide shelter. As was the case on Wednesday, they enjoyed themselves yesterday.