| Georgetown Cricket Club | |||||
 Interactive map of Bourda | |||||
| Ground information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Georgetown, Guyana | ||||
| Country | West Indies | ||||
| Establishment | 1884 | ||||
| Capacity | 10,000[1] | ||||
| Owner | Government of Guyana | ||||
| Operator | Guyana Cricket Board | ||||
| Tenants | Guyana cricket team | ||||
| End names | |||||
| Regent Street End North Road End | |||||
| International information | |||||
| First Test | 21–26 March 1930: West Indies v England | ||||
| Last Test | 31 March – 4 April 2005: West Indies v South Africa | ||||
| First ODI | 30 March 1988: West Indies v Pakistan | ||||
| Last ODI | 7 May 2006: West Indies v Zimbabwe | ||||
| Team information | |||||
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| As of 16 October 2015 Source:Cricinfo | |||||
Bourda, or officiallyGeorgetown Cricket Club Ground, is acricket ground inGeorgetown,Guyana, used by theGuyanese cricket team for matches with other nations in theCaribbean as well as someTest matches involving theWest Indies. The ground is one of the two cricket stadiums in theSouth American mainland and is uniquely surrounded by amoat for flood-prevention and drainage purposes.
The stadium is located in Bourda inGeorgetown, Guyana between Regent Street and North Road, and is home to the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC). The ground is reminiscent of old baseball stadiums, due to itscantilever stands. The Ladies stand is notable, but the more modern, such as theRohan Kanhai stand, blend in well. The liveliest part of the ground with the ubiquitous music and DJs is at The Mound, an unprotected area. The ground was dubbed "The Cornerstone" in 1930 after a game against visiting England.[2]
The longtime community leader ofPort Mourant,J.C. Gibson, was instrumental in developing youth athletics in Guyana. Notably, he established thePort Mourant Cricket Club (PMCC) and the Gibson Shield, a cricket tournament held annually at the grounds.[3] In 1940, the Eversham Church of Scotland School won the tournament.[4]
While the crowds at Bourda are passionate about their cricket, they are also among the most volatile, with mini riots andpitch invasions not uncommon.[5] The worst incident was in 1979 during aWorld Series Cricket SuperTest when the pavilion was ransacked and players hid in the changing rooms wearing their helmets for added protection. There would be a similar incident in 1999, when the West Indies hosted Australia at the ground, with Australia needing 3 to tie and 4 to win off the last ball of the match. There was a full scale pitch invasion with Australian captainSteve Waugh's bat almost being stolen from his grasp and the match deemed a tie, after the West Indies could not effect a run out, due to the stumps having been stolen afterShane Warne had made his ground on the second run. Due to the volatile nature of the crowd, the result was not announced until after the players had left the venue.[6]
It has hosted 30 Test matches and 10One Day International. Four of the last five Tests at the ground have ended in draws.[7][5] The ground, which has a capacity of around 10,000, opened in 1884, has seen Test cricket since 1930, and is the only cricket stadium in the world to be situated below sea level.[8] The ground has a moat round it to protect the pitch from flooding. It is the oldest ground in the Caribbean.
The ground did not host matches for the2007 Cricket World Cup, as a new stadium, theProvidence Stadium, was built. The Guyanese authorities, however, insisted that the Bourda would still be used for first-class cricket.[5]
6°48′29.40″N58°8′59.54″W / 6.8081667°N 58.1498722°W /6.8081667; -58.1498722
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