A longstanding tradition of cross-border friendly sports rivalry has entered its latest chapter, as the 2026 tapeball cricket series between visiting teams from Saint Lucia and the host Kalinago Territory of Dominica kicked off this week at the Kalinago Playing Field. The opening round of matches ended in an even split, with each side claiming one win: Saint Lucia’s veteran squad took the opening fixture, while the Kalinago national team secured a narrow seven-run victory in the day’s senior contest.
In the opening veterans’ match, the Kalinago side won the toss and chose to bat first, posting a competitive total of 159 runs for the loss of 9 wickets across the allocated 15 overs. Top-order batters Haynes Viville and Raymond Casimir anchored the host innings, contributing 44 and 36 runs respectively to build the challenging target. Saint Lucia’s bowling attack responded with a disciplined performance, led by Glen Eurysthee and Fendley Estephane, who each claimed three wickets to restrict Kalinago’s final score.
Chasing 160 runs for victory, Saint Lucia lost just three wickets before crossing the finish line in the 19.5th over. All-rounder Sean Auguste delivered a standout performance, scoring 62 runs and taking one wicket to earn player-of-the-match honors, with valuable supporting contributions from Julius Simon, who added an unbeaten 56 runs to the winning total.
Momentum shifted firmly in the hosts’ favor in the 10-over national team match that followed. Batting first, the Kalinago national side put up 120 runs for 5 wickets, with four batters reaching double figures: Jason Paris, Riyel Paris, Daren Toussaint, and player-of-the-match Neo Davis all made key contributions to the host total.
Saint Lucia got off to a blistering start in their chase, reaching 42 runs without losing a wicket in just two opening overs, with opening batter Orey Changoo quickly notching 41 runs. However, the game turned dramatically from the third over onward, as Kalinago bowlers Fred Paris and Kevin Paris took charge, each claiming three wickets to break Saint Lucia’s opening partnership and trigger a steady collapse of the visitor’s batting order. Saint Lucia was bowled out for 113 runs in the 9.3rd over, giving Kalinago a tight seven-run win to level the series.
The annual home-and-away tapeball series between the two sides is now a well-established regional tradition, with reciprocal tours stretching back multiple years. In 2025, it was Dominica’s turn to travel across the eastern Caribbean to compete in Saint Lucia, with the 2026 tour marking the latest installment of the friendly cross-community rivalry.