Barbados Pitch Report: The Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados is one of the most iconic cricket stadiums in the Caribbean and a key venue for international matches, including the T20 World Cup 2024. Known for its lively pitch, the surface here typically offers good bounce and early seam movement, making it a favorite for fast bowlers. However, as the game progresses, the pitch tends to settle, providing batters with more scoring opportunities. With an average first innings score of around 138 in T20Is, the pitch demands both skill and strategy from teams, particularly during powerplays and death overs. Historically, batting first has proven to be more successful due to the pitch’s changing nature and the pressure of chasing under lights.
Barbados Pitch Report Scorecard
The Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, has been a prominent venue in T20 World Cup 2024, hosting several matches, including the final between India and South Africa. Here’s an overview of the pitch conditions and historical performance:
🏏 Barbados Pitch Report Characteristics
Surface Behavior: The pitch offers early seam movement and extra bounce, favoring fast bowlers. Spinners may find some assistance as the game progresses, but pacers generally dominate.
Batting Conditions: While challenging initially, the surface becomes more conducive to batting as the match advances.
Sporting News
📊 Key Stats
- Matches Played: 50 T20Is
- Batting First Wins: 31
- Batting Second Wins: 16
- Average First Innings Score: 138
- Average Second Innings Score: 125
- Highest Total: 224/5 (West Indies vs. England, 2022)
- Lowest Total: 43/10 (West Indies Women vs. England Women)
- Highest Successful Chase: 172/6 (West Indies vs. England, 2023)
🎯 Toss and Strategy Insights
Toss Impact: Teams winning the toss have historically preferred to bat first, capitalizing on the pitch’s conditions.
Sportstar
Team Performance: In the 2024 T20 World Cup, both India and South Africa have shown adaptability to the pitch, with India leveraging their fast bowling strength and South Africa’s aggressive batting approach.
Is Barbados a batting or bowling pitch?
Bowling vs. Batting at Barbados (Kensington Oval)
- Average T20I Score: ~138 in the first innings — this reflects a moderate scoring ground, not a batting paradise.
- Early Overs: The pitch offers extra bounce and seam movement, which benefits pace bowlers significantly.
- Spin: Spinners come into play later in the match, especially if the surface starts to wear.
- Batting: Batting becomes easier as the pitch settles, but it’s rarely a flat, high-scoring surface.
What is the highest score in Barbados in the T20 World Cup?
The highest team total recorded in a T20I match at the Kensington Oval in Barbados is 224/5, achieved by the West Indies against England during the 2022 series. This formidable total was propelled by a 107-run innings from Rovman Powell off just 53 balls, supported by Nicholas Pooran’s 70 runs from 43 balls. The West Indies won the match by 20 runs, with England responding with 204/9 in their 20 overs.
Conclusion
The Kensington Oval in Barbados offers a competitive pitch that tends to favor fast bowlers early on with seam and bounce, but can become more batting-friendly as the match progresses. While not traditionally known for huge scores, teams with strong batting depth can still post challenging totals.
The highest T20I score at this venue is 224/5, set by West Indies against England in 2022, showcasing that aggressive batting is rewarded when conditions are read well.
Also Read: Vizag Cricket Stadium Pitch Report – Balanced track favoring both bat and ball