Chris Gayle and his West Indies teammates led by Captain Dwayne Bravo, are the first of the eight nations contesting the ICC Champions Trophy to arrive in Wales, as preparations for the tournament heat up this week with the first warm-up game in the Welsh capital this Saturday against Australia (1pm scheduled start).
The West Indies team will hold a training session at the Cardiff Wales Stadium this afternoon (Tuesday 28th May) and captain Dwayne Bravo will hold his pre-tournament media conference at St David's Hotel, Cardiff tomorrow (Wednesday 29 May). The Australians are the second to arrive into Wales and will train at the home of Glamorgan Cricket on Wednesday morning before captain Michael Clarke's media conference in Cardiff Bay the same afternoon.
As well as practicising at Cardiff Wales Stadium, Newport's Spytty Park has also been chosen by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as a training base for the team's participating in next month's Champions Trophy.
The likes of Alastair Cook, Eoin Morgan, Dale Steyn, Lasith Malinga and Chris Gayle will be in Newport as five of the eight competing nations will use Newport Cricket Club to fine tune their skills.
"To think that the best cricketers in the world will be playing at our ground is amazing," said club spokesman Dave Knight, who played for Glamorgan 2nd XI and was a stalwart of the Wales side in the 1970s and 1980s.
"It's testament to the hard work that so many people have put into the club, to get to where we are now since moving from Rodney Parade in the early 1990s is incredible.
"This is going to be terrific for our junior players - how many times do you get the chance to see the best players in the world close up?"
Newport CC are also launching a fundraising drive for the refurbishment of the changing rooms block next to their clubhouse. The club aims to provide changing facilities and a meeting room and have set an initial target of raising £50,000 of the estimated project cost of £200,000. Companies and individuals who want to sponsor the club or offer help can contact Mr Knight on 01633 663297 or email dave.knight@ntlworld.com
Tickets for all matches are available from www.icc-cricket.com, by calling 08442492013 or from the Stadium Ticket Office priced from £20 for adults and £5 for under-16s. Match tickets for the two warm-ups in Cardiff, West Indies v Australia on Saturday 1 June and Australia v India on Tuesday 4 June are also now available, priced £5 for children and £15 for adults in advance, £20 on the day.
To see photos from the West Indies camp including training at Cardiff Wales Stadium click here
