After a multi-year hiatus for local elite women’s cricket in Saint Lucia, competitive action finally returned on Saturday, July 4, as the first matches of the island’s new Women’s T20 Tournament got underway at the La Fargue Playing Field, hosted in the district of Choiseul. This 2024 edition marks the first official local women’s cricket tournament held on the island since 2021, bringing much-anticipated competitive play back to emerging female cricketers across the country.
The opening fixture of the tournament drew a lively local crowd for a hotly contested west coast derby between host side Choiseul and nearby district Laborie. In a rain-shortened 15-over per side format, Laborie won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a competitive total of 101 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. The innings was anchored by a standout individual performance from batter Skyy Smith, who remained unbeaten at the crease with a half-century off 43 deliveries, smashing six boundaries and one maximum over the rope to carry her side’s total. Choiseul’s spin bowler Swaylin Williams turned in a dominant performance with the ball, claiming three Laborie wickets for just eight runs across her three overs, putting the hosts firmly in control heading into their run chase.
A key source of Choiseul’s success came from unforced errors by Laborie, which conceded 34 extra runs through no-balls, wides and other deliveries that gifted free runs to the host batting line-up. Though Choiseul lost early wickets, an unbroken late-wicket partnership between Roylin Cooper and Alicia Herman steered the side across the finish line with overs to spare. Cooper finished unbeaten on 23 runs off 18 deliveries, including two fours, while Herman contributed a steady 22 runs off 29 balls. Choiseul reached the required 102 runs for the loss of just three wickets in 12.2 overs, securing a seven-wicket victory in the opening derby.
The second opening match of the tournament saw the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association (SLNCA) Development XI face off against South Castries, in another 15-over contest that went down to the final over. The Development side batted first and put up an imposing total of 147 runs for the loss of seven wickets, powered by a sensational opening partnership from star batters Namiah Marcellin and Natalia Phillip. Marcellin top-scored for the side with 60 runs off 44 deliveries, hitting seven fours and one six, while Phillip provided explosive support with 41 runs off just 26 balls, including five fours and a six.
In response, South Castries’ chase got off to a flying start thanks to a quickfire innings from West Indies international player Nerissa Crafton, who led the line with 35 runs off only 16 deliveries, knocking three fours and two sixes before being dismissed. With Crafton back in the pavilion, South Castries’ batting order struggled to maintain the required run rate, even as Krushner Joseph turned in a strong all-round performance for the side, claiming two wickets for 21 runs across three overs and taking a sharp catch in the field. Though the Development XI conceded an uncharacteristic 46 extra runs, the team’s leading stars Marcellin and Phillip delivered with the ball as well as the bat, each claiming two wickets. Marcellin notched two wickets for just seven runs in 1.5 overs, while Phillip took two wickets for 24 runs across three overs and completed a run out to cap her all-round performance. South Castries were bowled out for 140 runs in 14.5 overs, falling just seven runs short of the target and giving the Development XI its first win of the tournament.