On May 21, the tight-knit cricket community of Babonneau, Saint Lucia, came together to hold the second annual Clash of the Leatherbacks player draft, marking the official countdown to the highly anticipated annual developmental Under-21 cricket tournament. This year’s event shines a spotlight on some of the island nation’s most promising young cricket talent, with a deliberate focus on nurturing emerging players for long-term growth in the sport.
Organized under the leadership of Babonneau’s head cricket coach Jervaughn Charles, the tournament adopts a unique 35-over playing format that strikes a balance between the fast-paced excitement of T20 cricket and the endurance-focused structure of 50-over cricket. Three competing teams will first go head-to-head in a double round-robin group stage, where each side will face off against the other two teams twice. After the group stage concludes, the top two teams by cumulative points will advance to a high-stakes winner-takes-all final match to claim the championship title.
Beyond the traditional points awarded for match wins – 10 points for each victory – the tournament also awards extra bonus points for standout individual performances in batting, bowling, and fielding, encouraging excellence across all aspects of the game from a young age. Charles emphasized that the entire competition is built around a core mission of player development, rather than prioritizing short-term winning at the expense of young talent growth.
A key new initiative for this year’s tournament is the intentional inclusion of under-15 players, a group that is often sidelined in youth competitions when senior youth teams prioritize immediate match results. To address this gap, special rules have been implemented to guarantee under-15 players meaningful playing time and greater engagement on the pitch, reflecting the organizers’ focus on investing in the sport’s future rather than just the current season. Beyond skill development, the tournament also aims to build camaraderie, friendship, and confidence among young players, creating a supportive community that helps them grow both on and off the field.
The draft process itself followed a structured nine-round format. The first four rounds were reserved exclusively for players based in the Babonneau region, to ensure local emerging talent gets priority access to the competition. After the local rounds, each team selected five marquee players from outside the Babonneau area to round out their rosters. Teams were given just one minute to deliberate on each pick, adding an element of excitement and strategy to the draft event. Following the conclusion of the draft, three full rosters were confirmed: Snapping Strikers led by captain Sacchin Cepal, Hawksbill Hitters captained by Yulieski Gustave, and Terrapin Thumpers, led by captain Alexi Khodra.
The tournament received a significant boost this year from a EC$5,000 donation from Ackeem Auguste, a top-order batsman who currently plays professionally for the West Indies and the Saint Lucia Kings. Auguste, who began his cricket journey in Babonneau’s development program, shared that the community’s cricket infrastructure was instrumental to his growth as a professional player. His financial contribution is a heartfelt gesture of giving back to the community that nurtured his talent from his earliest days in the sport.
Looking ahead, Babonneau’s cricket organizing team has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to growing the sport at the grassroots level, both within the Babonneau community and across the entire island of Saint Lucia, with a continued focus on identifying and developing the next generation of professional cricket talent.