The 2024 Winlott Inc Windward Islands Under-19 Men’s Super50 Championship has gotten off to an explosive start, with defending champions and host nation Dominica jumping to the top of the early tournament standings after securing wins in both of its opening weekend matches. The opening two days of play delivered a mix of surprise upsets and dominant performances from the four competing teams, with 2023 runners-up Saint Lucia splitting its opening fixtures: a commanding victory over St Vincent & the Grenadines followed by a tight low-scoring loss to Grenada.
Sunday’s clash at Portsmouth’s Benjamin’s Park delivered one of the opening weekend’s standout individual performances, as left-arm spinner Shamel Hillaire’s incredible 6-wicket haul for just 26 runs guided Grenada to a 20-run victory over Saint Lucia. Grenada won the toss and elected to bat first in the 35-over limited-overs contest, posting a total of 123 all out. Unusually, the team’s top scorer was extras, which contributed 29 runs to the total. Five Grenadian batters reached double figures, with Kemile Abraham top-scoring among registered players with 24 runs off 65 deliveries.
In Saint Lucia’s bowling attack, fast bowler Bjorn Fanis turned in the most impressive performance, claiming 3 wickets for 23 runs from his 6.1 overs. The paceman put consistent pressure on Grenada’s middle and lower order, breaking key partnerships to keep Grenada’s total well below 150. All-rounder Cody Fontenelle chipped in with 2 wickets for 26 runs from six overs, while Saint Lucia captain Theo Edward also picked up 2 wickets for just 21 runs from his five overs. Opener Liam Wilson, though he finished the innings without a wicket, delivered extremely economical spell, conceding only seven runs from four full overs.
Chasing a modest target of 124 runs to win within 35 overs, Saint Lucia got off to a flying start, reaching 30 runs without loss after the first five overs. Captain Edward got the chase off to a steady start, scoring 15 runs off 15 balls, and the team’s momentum held through the next three overs, adding another 12 runs. The first wicket fell when opening partner Roystan Fannis was dismissed for nine runs, followed quickly by Johnathan Daniel’s departure for 11 runs, which left Saint Lucia at 43 for 3 wickets.
A 30-run stand in 36 balls between Tyler Venner and Aiden Scholar stabilized the innings briefly, but Venner’s dismissal for a team-high 16 runs at the hands of Hillaire triggered a dramatic late-order collapse. Hillaire went on to claim six of the last seven Saint Lucian wickets, and also assisted in a runout to wrap up the innings, bowling Saint Lucia out for 103 runs. Only four batters from Saint Lucia managed to reach double figures in the disappointing chase.
The day before Sunday’s loss, Saint Lucia delivered a dominant display against St Vincent & the Grenadines at the Geneva Playing Field, sealing a 163-run victory to open its tournament campaign. Put in to bat first after losing the toss, Saint Lucia posted a competitive total of 208 all out in 43.5 overs, led by Jean Claude Emmanuel’s 41 and Johnathan Daniel’s 44. Fontenelle chipped in with a useful 33, while Kanil Nelson contributed 15 to the total. For St Vincent & the Grenadines, bowler Kazado Henry turned in a strong individual performance with 4 wickets for 30 runs.
In response, St Vincent & the Grenadines’ batting line-up collapsed completely, being bowled out for just 45 runs in 16.1 overs. Young fast bowler Nathaniel Joseph produced a devastating five-wicket haul for Saint Lucia, taking 5 wickets for only 17 runs from his six overs, while Wilson picked up two additional wickets to help finish off the innings.
As the tournament moves into its next round of fixtures, Saint Lucia is scheduled to face undefeated table-toppers Dominica on Tuesday, in what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated matches of the early group stage.