Ticket sales head northwards in Jamaica

Montego Bay, Jamaica, Mar 10 (UNI) If ticket sales is any indication to go by, the World Cup fever has finally gripped the Caribbean.

Just hours ahead of the official opening ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup at Trelawny's Multi-purpose Stadium, the Jamaica Local Organising Committee (LOC) said ticket sales for the minor first round games are brisk.

According to LOC executive director Robert Bryan, the rush at the counter has increased substantially.

''The last time I reflected, we were between fifty and sixty per cent for most of the other matches. those percentages have now climbed into the seventies and heading into the eighties for most of them,'' Bryan told journalists.

''The semifinals is sold out and occasionally some tickets come back on because the sponsors block, we are finding that they are releasing back some tickets into it. Technically the event is sold out," he added.

However the robust ticket sales could be attributed to the fact that hosts West Indies would be playing all three of their opening round matches here at Sabina Park.

The six matches set for Sabina Park, which has a seating capacity of 19,500 are: West Indies against Pakistan on March 13 to be followed by Zimbabwe vs Ireland (March 15), Pakistan vs Ireland (March 17), West Indies vs Zimbabwe (March 19), Zimbabwe vs Pakistan (March 21) and West Indies against Ireland on March 23.

UNI