Lara disappointed by sparse crowd

8220;The crowd was very disappointing,8221; said Lara. 8220;You sit back and think every game that West Indies play you expect a full house.8221; That was the case at the old Recreation Ground situated in the center of Antigua8217;s capital St. John8217;s. While a full crowd there watched Lara score his Test record 400 not out against England in 2004, his efforts Wednesday were played out in front of three banks of totally empty temporary seating.

Prices as high as 100 in a country largely dependent of tourism and agriculture may have had some bearing. But locals blamed the regulations regarding the tournament for the sparse attendance. Fans cannot drive to the stadium, which is situated outside the city center. Instead, they must park or take a taxi to a site approximately 2 kilometers from the ground and then buy a 4 bus ticket for the remainder of the journey. Fans are only allowed to take in water if the bottle tops are removed.

8220;People here love their cricket and really don8217;t mind,8221; said Anthony, a local taxi driver. 8220;They will pay anything because it8217;s the West Indies and they want to see them rise again. But they do not like all the rules and the things that come with it.8221;