ARNOS VALE, just a stone’s throw from the St. Vincent airport and the first noticeable landmark seen by visitors as they touch down on this 133 square mile island, might be one of the best known cricket grounds in the Caribbean.

But it quickly becomes clear on visiting the stadium why it’s merely been selected for four World Cup warm-up matches next week and not any of the actual tournament games.

While the pitch itself may well meet Test and ODI standards, the surrounding stands, entrance roads and car parking areas are very much in the throes of construction with no hope of work being completed before the first of the warm-ups — Monday’s historic match between Bermuda and England, the first time these countries will have met in a full international.

As of yesterday telephone lines, internet connection and other communication systems were still being installed.

International Cricket Council officials, who have arrived to ensure that all runs smoothly once the games begin,(England are also scheduled to play old rivals Australia in both teams’ final warm-up next Friday in a match that potentially could attract a capacity crowd) are keeping their fingers crossed that ‘everything will be OK on the day’.

But hey, this is the Caribbean where the wheels of progress sometimes turn at, shall we say, a more leisurely pace than other parts of the world.

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BERMUDA, who arrived in St. Vincent from Antigua late on Thursday evening, just can’t stop rewriting the cricket history books.

As has been well documented, they are smallest country in terms of both size and population to ever have qualified for a World Cup, and, along with Ireland, the 18th and 19th members about to make their first appearance in the sport’s biggest event.

But it also transpires that on March 15 when Bermuda play their first group game against Sri Lanka, a significant anniversary will be celebrated: it’s the same date on which the opening day of the first-ever Test match was played (between England and Australia).

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WHATEVER Bermuda’s results, the World Cup will likely rekindle fond memories for national coach Gus Logie.

The diminutive Trinidadian, who played 52 Test matches and 158 ODIs for the West Indies, took part in 15 World Cup games.

He had a highest score of 65 not out and totalled 282 runs along the way.

Only 30 of Logie’s 158 ODI appearances came in the Caribbean. But he won 23 of them, lost only six and tied one.