Saint Lucia’s aspirations for the Windward Islands Women’s T20 championship were decisively extinguished on Monday, February 5th, following a crushing nine-wicket defeat against Grenada. The match, held at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, marked Saint Lucia’s second consecutive loss, eliminating them from title contention.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Saint Lucia’s innings never found its rhythm. Captain Zaida James and opening partner Ashlene Edward provided a brief glimmer of hope with a 35-run partnership. However, the innings unraveled quickly after James (10) was dismissed in the fifth over by Grenadian fast bowler Holly Charles, who immediately followed up by removing West Indies teammate Nerissa Crafton for a duck. Grenada’s captain, West Indies bowler Afy Fletcher, then claimed the wicket of Cian Felix for a single run. A struggling Saint Lucia found themselves at a precarious 51-4 at the midway point, with Skyy Smith (7) also departing.
The batting collapse intensified in the latter stages. Edward, the lone resilient batter, was eventually dismissed for a patient 35 off 53 deliveries in the 15th over. The final five overs yielded a meager 11 runs for the loss of one more wicket, condemning Saint Lucia to a subpar total of 78-6 from their allotted 20 overs.
In response, Grenada launched a ferocious and calculated assault on the modest target. Captain Afy Fletcher led from the front, blasting a rapid 28 from just 17 balls, an innings decorated with three boundaries and two sixes. She and opening partner Theresa Thomas (24 not out) dismantled the Saint Lucia bowling attack, racing to a 46-run opening stand in just 5.3 overs. Cassie Williams provided a quickfire 12 from 8 balls to seal the comprehensive victory, with Grenada reaching their target of 79 in a mere 7.8 overs.
This dominant performance sets up a championship preview between Grenada and the host nation, St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG), on Wednesday. SVG secured their spot after a thrilling super-over victory against Dominica in the day’s second fixture, where both teams were tied at 138 runs. Saint Lucia will now face Dominica in their final preliminary match before both teams contest the third-place playoff on Thursday.