The lively party stand atmosphere that has become synonymous with cricket in Antigua helped reshape the way the sport is experienced around the world, according to Cricket West Indies Chief Executive Officer Chris Dehring.
Speaking during a symposium hosted by the Antigua and Barbuda Intellectual Property and Commerce Office (ABIPCO), Cricket West Indies and the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, Dehring said the concept of blending music, entertainment and cricket in the stands began in Antigua before spreading throughout the Caribbean and eventually influencing international venues.
“I took one week of vacation a year when I was an investment banker in Jamaica to come to Antigua for cricket,” Dehring recalled.
“Why Antigua? Well, you had this incredible phenomenon called the double-decker stand… I went nowhere else for cricket.”
He said the atmosphere at Antigua’s cricket grounds offered something unique that fans could not experience elsewhere.
“It was just such a joy to be part of that,” he said. “That particular culture and that intellectual property, unfortunately, the rest of the world stole because it was started right here in Antigua — the whole idea of playing music in the stands and party stands.”
Dehring admitted he was among those who borrowed the concept.
“I totally confess. I copied it and took it to Jamaica to create the Mound,” he said.
“I then made sure when I went to the West Indies Cricket Board that our party stand was installed at every ground in the Caribbean.”
He said the idea initially faced resistance from some cricket administrators and even the International Cricket Council, where match officials viewed the music and festivities as a distraction from the game.
“We actually had battles with some of the boards because the rest of the world hadn’t caught on to this thing yet,” Dehring said. “It was seen by the ICC and match officials as disrupting the game. But it was, in fact, adding to the game.”
According to Dehring, the Caribbean’s approach to celebrating cricket eventually attracted global attention.
He recalled that representatives from England’s Channel 4 television network visited Antigua’s party stand to study the atmosphere before attempting to replicate it during cricket broadcasts in England.
“They sent down people to one of our party stands to take notes because they were going to try and do this in England,” he said.
“One lady asked me, ‘How do you get everybody to jump up?’ I said, ‘Lady, if you have to explain why, you’ll never get it. We’re just dancing. We’re just having a good time. That’s what we do.’”
Dehring argued that the festive atmosphere became part of the Cricket West Indies brand and increased the commercial appeal of Caribbean cricket.
He said television audiences were drawn not only to the cricket itself but also to the music, sunshine and vibrant fan culture that distinguished matches in the region from those played elsewhere.
“It wasn’t just the cricket,” he said. “It was when you came home in England and turned on your television and saw this wonderful sea of Caribbean sunshine, people dancing, swimming pools and entertainment. It was great programming.”
Dehring made the remarks during his presentation, “Building a Regional Brand: The Cricket West Indies Story,” which explored how cricket’s history, culture and intellectual property have helped build one of the world’s most recognizable sporting brands.
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