World Cup 2019: Batsman sculpture to be erected in Bristol

To celebrate the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, a giant 4-metre hand-painted statue of a batsman, representing each of the ten competing nations, will be erected in the Millennium Square for the duration of the matches in Bristol.

The sculpture will be unveiled just in time for Bristol's first match on June 1 as Afghanistan go head-to-head with Australia. The Square will also play host to a day of live match screenings and interactive cricket activities, creating a fun, family-friendly event to celebrate the coming of the World Cup to Bristol.

The local Bristol community has been invited to take part in the giant art. Bristol County Ground, home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, will host three fixtures of the World Cup, doubling the number of games the ground has held following one in 1983 and two in 1999.

A three-day long public painting event will take place from May 25 to 27 and will see local groups, scenic artists, city dignitaries and members of the community collaborating. The event is free-to-attend with painting slots offered on a first come, first served basis.

Former England batsman Jonathan Trott will join cricket fans on May 25 in picking up a paintbrush and making their mark on this iconic tournament installation, while local graffiti artist Silent Hobo will entertain crowds by creating live graffiti artwork showcasing some of Bristol's iconic landmarks throughout the bank holiday weekend.

Gloucestershire Cricket Chief Executive, Will Brown said: "The ICC Cricket World Cup is a huge celebration of both the game of cricket and also the communities and lifestyles that exist across England and Wales. Bristol has a thriving art scene and the Bristol County Ground is only a short walk from areas such as Stokes Croft, one of the centres of street art in the city. Bristolians will no doubt bring their own style and creativity to this initiative and we are excited to see what will no doubt be a uniquely Bristol artwork."

Director of City and Spectator Experience for the World Cup, Paul Smith, added: "We look forward to seeing the local community come together to create something that celebrates both the thriving art scene in Bristol and the diverse atmosphere of the Cricket World Cup. This activation marks one of many free public events taking place across the ten host cities this summer, as we continue to bring cricket to local communities in unique and entertaining ways.