UNLIKELY ROYAL ENCOUNTER AT GREAT KENSINGTON OVAL

A TEST match at the Kensington Oval in Barbados and a chance to meet legendary cricketer Joel Garner. Could life get any better?

- By MARK McCADDEN

Coming from a country where cricket remains a minority interest, we were late to develop an appreciation for the sport.

The 2007 Cricket World Cup, when Ireland made it to the Super 8 stage, was the first time this reporter paid attention to the game in any of its formats.

But after a day in Bridgetown's iconic stadium in late-June, watching the West Indies take on Australia, the question is, how could anyone NOT love this sport?

The Aussie fans had arrived in big numbers, and while many were perched high up in the posh seats, there was lots of fun to be had pitchside.

Behind rows of deck chairs and in front of a swimming pool, where visiting fans could cool down in the intense afternoon Caribbean heat, supporters were enjoying their own knockabout in the sand, using plastic chairs for stumps.

Out of nowhere, two Irish accents. We weren't long into our chat when we realised that Kevin and Ciaran grew up with Brian Flanagan, this newspaper's head of sport. Small world.