Scores of cricket fans have started to file into Kensington Oval for the start of the second Test between West Indies and England.
There is a festive atmosphere outside of the ground from early, and long lines to get into the ground.
With health authorities giving Cricket West Indies permission to operate the iconic ground at full capacity, a near full house is expected for the match, which is the second in a series of three between the two sides.
Under established protocols, only fully vaccinated fans will be allowed to purchase tickets for the match, and spectators heading into the Party Stand will no longer need to be tested to gain access.
Recent Test successes against England at Kensington Oval have given the Windies hope of a win in the match.
The Windies have not lost to England in nearly two decades in Bridgetown and have lost only twice – in 1994 and 2004 – in the history of matches between the two sides at the ground, which remains somewhat of a fortress even in the home team’s years of decline.
Three years ago, West Indies, under Jason Holder, pulled off an innings and 381-run victory inside four days, stunning the English and laying the platform for a 2-1 win in a three-Test series.
In 2015, they notched a five-wicket triumph inside three days, and they drew a high-scoring contest when they piled up 749 on a flat track six years earlier.
(AR)
