After five years without organized domestic competitive play, women’s cricket is making a long-awaited comeback in Saint Lucia, with a newly launched Women’s T20 Tournament set to give emerging young talent their first taste of high-stakes competitive action since 2021. This revival opens new doors for the next generation of Saint Lucian cricket stars, who have the potential to follow in the footsteps of celebrated local players including Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Verena Felicien and Eugena Gregg.
The Saint Lucia National Cricket Association (SLNCA) formally announced the tournament’s launch this week, outlining a 10-week competition schedule running from June 20 to August 1. Four competing teams will clash across five match days, with fixtures hosted at three of the island’s leading cricket venues: La Fargue Playing Field, Balata Playing Field and Mindoo Phillip Park. Defending past tournament champions Gros Islet will not field a side for this edition, but the remaining rosters feature a mix of experienced international and regional players and promising up-and-coming talent. West Indies international middle-order batter Nerissa Crafton will take up captaincy for the South Castries Lionesses, while current Saint Lucia national team vice-captain Namiah Marcellin will lead the SLNCA Development XI. Former Windward Islands batter Roylin Cooper will bring her experience to strengthen Choiseul’s squad, and ex-national player Leona Emmanuel will represent Laborie.
In an official statement from the association, SLNCA framed the relaunch of the women’s domestic tournament as a defining milestone for the ongoing expansion and development of women’s cricket across the island. The project to revive the competition has been spearheaded by Eugena Gregg, SLNCA third vice president, Cricket Hall of Fame inductee and former West Indies women’s national captain. For Gregg, the return of regular competitive women’s cricket represents a landmark achievement for the local community.
Speaking on the tournament lineup, Gregg noted the revitalization of the Laborie women’s program, alongside the consistent strength of Choiseul’s long-standing program, the addition of the new South Castries Lionesses franchise, and the introduction of the dedicated SLNCA Development XI, which was created specifically to nurture emerging youth talent. The tournament forms a core pillar of SLNCA’s broader strategic plan to elevate women’s cricket across Saint Lucia, building clear development pathways that allow talented local players to progress to national, regional and eventually international representative teams.
Gregg emphasized that the competition will serve as a critical platform for three core priorities: nurturing existing player talent, identifying new promising prospects from across the island, and encouraging more women and girls to take up the sport. She extended gratitude to all stakeholders who made the tournament possible, including competing players, team management staff, match officials, community volunteers, and members of the SLNCA Women’s Cricket Development Committee.
A brief opening ceremony will kick off the tournament at La Fargue Playing Field on Saturday, June 20. The opening match will get underway at 2 p.m. local time between Choiseul and Laborie, with a second opening-day fixture scheduled between the SLNCA Development XI and South Castries Lionesses.