After a dramatic final weekend of group stage action, the four teams set to compete for the 2024 Saint Lucia Premier League (SPL) T20 title have officially been confirmed, with twists, standout individual performances, and unexpected eliminations shaping the final playoff lineup.
The opening fixture of the weekend was derailed before it could deliver a result, as an island-wide power outage forced the abandonment of the clash between Choiseul Craft Masters and Mon Repos Pioneers. With neither side able to claim the two points on offer for a win, the draw left both teams trailing in the rankings, dashing their hopes of securing a higher seed heading into the knockout stage.
On Saturday morning, the first of the Final Four spots was claimed by Soufriere Titans, who pulled off an upset against defending champions Gros Islet Knights to secure their place with a 12-run victory. The match at Soufriere hosted a lively, family-friendly atmosphere, with children enjoying face-painting activities in the stands before the competitive action unfolded.
The Titans’ win was anchored by a blistering, unbeaten century from middle-order batsman Djourn Charles, who smashed 107 runs off just 54 deliveries, including 10 fours and 8 towering sixes. Charles’ explosive innings carried Soufriere to a total of 203 all out, with Gros Islet’s Tarrique Edward turning in the best bowling performance of the match, claiming three wickets for 36 runs.
In their chase, the defending champions managed only 191 all out. While experienced batters Kimani Melius and Noelle Leo both got starts, notching 23 runs each, only Dillon Douglas was able to convert his chance, finishing with 64 runs. Tight, disciplined bowling from Kevin Sinclar (1-17 off four overs) and Shani Maximin (2-29 off three overs) kept the Knights’ chase in check, securing the win for the Titans and leaving them second in the final group stage standings.
The second Saturday match brought another elimination twist, as Micoud Eagles defeated their local rivals Mon Repos Pioneers by 40 runs to book their playoff spot and knock Mon Repos out of title contention. Micoud posted a mammoth total of 257 batting first, powered by a phenomenal near-century from Dominic Auguste. Auguste fell just one run short of a hundred, bowled by Cody Lesmond after striking 10 sixes and six fours, with Samuel Charles adding a valuable 45 runs before also falling short of a personal milestone.
Mon Repos got off to a strong start in their chase, with Sabinus Emmanuel notching 55 and Keon Gaston hitting a brilliant century of 118, but their efforts were not enough to overhaul the total; they finished at 217 all out. Ted Jones was the standout bowler for the Eagles, claiming three wickets for 34 runs to seal the win and leave Micoud third in the final rankings.
Sunday opened with a do-or-die clash for Gros Islet Knights, who needed a win over undefeated group leaders City Blasters to keep their hopes of back-to-back titles alive. The tournament’s only unbeaten side proved too strong, however, securing a dominant eight-wicket victory to end the defending champions’ campaign.
Batting first, Gros Islet collapsed to just 103 all out, with four of their top-order batters dismissed for zero. Only a 36-run knock from captain Kimani Melius pushed the side into triple figures. Amari Goodridge (4-18) and Jaden Elibox (4-20) tore through the Knights’ batting lineup, leaving the Blasters with a tiny target to chase.
City Blasters made light work of the 104-run requirement, reaching the target in just 6.3 overs behind an unbeaten 63 from Stephen Naitrum, which included seven sixes and five fours. Tarrique Edward claimed the only two wickets for Gros Islet, finishing with 2-43 off two overs, but it was not enough to stop the group leaders.
The final group stage match saw Choiseul Craft Masters secure the last remaining Final Four spot, needing a win over already-qualified Micoud Eagles to leapfrog the eliminated defending champions and claim their place. Choiseul’s bowling attack dominated the Eagles, bundling them out for just 134, with Bronte Bess claiming 3-18 and Dornan Edward taking 3-24 to lead the attack.
Choiseul, nicknamed the Men in Orange, chased down the target in just 8.4 overs, with Jason Simon hitting 56 off 31 deliveries and Junior Henry smashing 50 off 20 deliveries to lead the side to a seven-wicket victory.
With the group stage now complete, the knockout phase of the tournament is ready to get underway using the Page Playoff System, a four-match structure consisting of Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the championship Final. The format gives the top two group stage teams a second chance to advance to the Final, while the third and fourth seeds face an immediate sudden-death elimination in the Eliminator.