Richie Richardson laments the absence of spectators on the opening day of the Antigua Test. He remembers how he cherished playing at the ARG (Antigua Recreation Ground), his home ground, and how the atmosphere would often get electric. "There used to be people falling off trees."

One can visualise the setting. The ARG is small and quite cute with certain low-lying stands allowing for the breeze to gush through. The Chickie stand and the Party stand set the rhythm for the crowd, with calypso and soca (an acronym for soul calypso) playing between overs.

Sadly, only around thousand people landed up to watch the first day. Lara felt that it was a result of West Indies' poor performances, yet was confident that they "could win the crowds back". The weekend promises better fare. For the trees to be occupied, though, we may require a thriller.