分类： sports

The latest round of Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League Tier 1 play delivered a string of unexpected results and major standings shifts over the weekend, headlined by a stunning upset of the two-time defending champions at the Francis Baba Lastic Grounds in Gros Islet.

The most eye-catching result came from basement club Central Castries, who overturned a first-half deficit to knock off defending champions La Clery by a 2-1 scoreline on Sunday. La Clery looked on track for a routine three points when Yanic Noel netted his league-leading seventh goal of the campaign late in the opening half, putting the defending champs ahead at the break. But Central Castries mounted a second-half comeback: Messiah Pinel drew his side level before substitute Rai Gaspard slotted home the game-winning goal, pushing Central Castries up to 8th place in the table with six total points. La Clery, meanwhile, remains anchored in third position with 12 points from seven outings.

The weekend’s action kicked off on Saturday with two key matches that reshaped the top and bottom of the tier. First, Dennery pulled off a narrow 2-1 upset of league leaders Vieux Fort South, keeping their own title push firmly on track. Elijah Joseph got Dennery off to a flying start, finding the back of the net just seven minutes into the contest. Vieux Fort South fought back to equalize in the 73rd minute, with Gregson President converting from the penalty spot. It was Dennery that had the final say, however, as Garvin Reggie scored the decisive winner just one minute into second-half stoppage time. Despite the defeat, Vieux Fort South retained their spot at the top of the table with 14 points, while Dennery sits just one point back on 13, holding a game in hand over the league leaders.

Across the weekend, the battle at the bottom of the table also saw major movement. Mabouya Valley, long rooted in last place, earned their first victory of the entire 2026 campaign with a 2-1 win over Anse La Raye. Torian Joseph put the underdogs ahead in the 11th minute, and after Marcalan John equalized for Anse La Raye in the 77th minute, Maius Stanislaus responded just one minute later to lock in three points for Mabouya Valley. While the win lifted Mabouya Valley up to ninth place with five points, the side remains in the relegation zone. The defeat dropped Anse La Raye to last place on goal difference.

Prior to Central Castries’ upset win on Sunday, another Tier 1 clash saw Vieux Fort North secure a comfortable 3-1 victory over Soufriere. Edric Popo notched a brace, with Kim Augustin adding a third for the winners, while Anthonie Herman scored Soufriere’s lone consolation goal. The result pushes Vieux Fort North into fourth place on nine points, with Soufriere slipping to fifth on eight points.

In another Tier 1 matchup, Canaries claimed a 3-1 away win over hosts Gros Islet. Rickelme Lionel put the home side ahead in the 28th minute, but Alex Longville equalized just two minutes later to level the score going into halftime. Veteran striker David Henry then took control of the contest, scoring back-to-back goals in the 50th and 53rd minutes to secure all three points for Canaries. Following the result, Gros Islet sits seventh in the table, while Canaries claims sixth.

In concurrent Tier 2 action, Desruisseaux held on for a dramatic 2-1 win over the Saint Lucia National Under-17 development side. Neandre Charles scored both of Desruisseaux’s goals, striking in the 38th minute and then netting the late winner in the 90th minute. The Under-17 side got their only goal from an 84th-minute own goal. The match ended on a sour note for Desruisseaux, however, as Ahmed Francis was sent off in stoppage time for dissent, leaving the side to finish the game with 10 men.

After a two-year hiatus, one of Saint Lucia’s most anticipated domestic cricket competitions, the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association (SLNCA) Men’s Super 50 tournament, finally kicked off its opening weekend, with Gros Islet delivering the most eye-catching performances across all matches.

Six total matches unfolded across three host venues during the opening round, producing a thrill-packed display of batting and bowling prowess: one full century, seven half-centuries, two six-wicket hauls, and three five-wicket bowling spells (known colloquially as “fivefers”) marked the competitive opening of the tournament.

As the reigning two-day national champions, Gros Islet entered Group B play on a high note and did not disappoint, clinching back-to-back wins to kick off their campaign. Their first victory came against South Castries at Mindoo Phillip Park on Saturday, where they secured a solid 75-run win.

Gros Islet’s innings got off to a rocky start, with their top order collapsing early. However, Jard Goodman stepped up with a spectacular counter-attacking century to turn the tide. Goodman smashed 103 runs off just 93 deliveries, peppering the boundary with five fours and eight towering sixes to rescue his side. Even with a fierce five-wicket performance from South Castries bowler Daniel Jn Baptiste, Gros Islet managed to post a daunting total of 273 all out.

South Castries responded with their own batting charge, led by Ephron Charles’ dynamic 62 runs off 50 balls. But Gros Islet’s Isaiah Jones, who earned Player of the Match honors, tore through the opposition’s batting lineup, claiming four wickets for 67 runs to bowl South Castries out for 198, sealing the opening win.

Gros Islet closed out their perfect opening weekend with a second dominant victory, beating Soufrière by 65 runs. Dominic Auguste anchored the innings with a quickfire 59 runs off 56 balls, helping Gros Islet set a target of 178 all out. Darvin Forde and Jones shared the bowling spoils, each picking up three wickets to bowl Soufrière out for just 113 in the 17th over.

Other Group B action at La Fargue saw Soufrière pick up a 47-run win over Vieux Fort. Soufrière posted 204 runs for 7, led by Jervon Charles’ 79 and Kervell Prospere’s 60. Captain Xystus Emmanuel starred with the ball, taking a sensational six wickets for just 35 runs to bowl Vieux Fort out for 157 in under 19 overs.

In Group C play at Wenn Playing Field, Mabouya Valley secured a four-wicket win over Desruisseaux. Desruisseaux’s Johnathan Paul hit a blistering 62 off just 26 deliveries, but Kirby Gustave’s incredible spell of 6 wickets for 16 runs bowled Desruisseaux out for 131. Mabouya Valley chased down the target in just 15.2 overs to claim victory.

Defending tournament champions Central Castries kicked off their title defense with a seven-wicket win over Mon Repos at Mindoo Phillip Park on Sunday. Mon Repos were bowled out for a paltry 106, with Jaden Elibox taking a remarkable five wickets for only 9 runs. Central Castries chased down the target losing just three wickets to secure the win.

In Group A, Babonneau took the early group lead with an eight-wicket win over Micoud at Wenn Playing Field. Micoud were bowled out for 163, with Mervin Wells top-scoring at 75, while Caleb Thomas claimed five wickets for 39 runs for Babonneau. Babonneau lost only two wickets chasing the target, with Quaine Henry finishing unbeaten on 54 to close out the chase.

The tournament will resume this coming weekend with a packed schedule of matches. Saturday’s slate includes Mon Repos vs Soufrière at La Fargue Playing Field, Desruisseaux vs Vieux Fort at Wenn Playing Field, and South Castries vs Mabouya Valley at Mindoo Phillip Park. Sunday will see four additional fixtures: Micoud vs Central Castries at Wenn, Vieux Fort vs South Castries at Mindoo Phillip Park, Choiseul vs Mon Repos at Piaye, and Mabouya Valley vs Soufrière at La Fargue.

Central Castries claimed the 2023 tournament title, beating Micoud by 144 runs in the final at Mindoo Phillip Park. This year’s edition will run through to the championship decider, scheduled for October 11 at Mindoo Phillip Park.

In a critical Caribbean Premier League clash at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval on Sunday night, the Saint Lucia Kings dropped their second consecutive match, falling to the Barbados Tridents by eight wickets. The damaging defeat has amplified the pressure on the Kings as they fight to secure a top-four finish and clinch one of the remaining playoff spots.

The Kings got off to a shaky start when opener Tim Seifert was dismissed early in the innings, but Kamil Pooran stepped up to steady the batting, pushing the side to 51 runs by the end of the powerplay. Pooran delivered a dynamic knock, scoring 37 runs off just 24 deliveries to give Saint Lucia a solid early foundation. However, the run rate dried up sharply in the middle overs, leaving the Kings at 63 for 2 at the halfway mark of their 20-over allocation. Captain Roston Chase put together a composed 34 runs to anchor the rest of the innings, but a lack of boundary contributions from the rest of the batting line-up restricted the Kings to a final total of 138 runs for 6 wickets.

Chasing a modest total to win, the Tridents did not face the early regular wickets that the Kings needed to defend their low score. Opening pair Zachary Carter and Brandon King put together a 41-run opening stand to set the foundation for the chase. Later, Quinton de Kock and Rivaldo Clarke finished the job with an unbroken 76-run partnership, securing an eight-wicket win for the Tridents and snapping their four-match losing drought.

Following the defeat, Saint Lucia Kings head coach Daren Sammy spoke candidly about his side’s playoff prospects in a post-match press interaction. Sammy acknowledged a pattern of underperformance in high-stakes matches this season, noting, “It seems like every time we’ve had crucial pressure games, we don’t seem to come up with what’s needed to be victorious. The opposition always seems a little bit more hungry than us, and the results don’t go in our favour.”

The loss leaves the Kings with just one remaining group stage match to turn their fortunes around. “We’ve left ourselves with one game. We need to win against Guyana in Guyana on the 9th, and then probably wait on other results to decide our fate for the playoffs. It’s nobody’s fault. We just have not been good enough for long enough in this season,” Sammy added.

Despite the uphill battle, Sammy maintained that the side still has a fighting chance to qualify. “With all that said, we still have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs, and in a knockout match, you never know what could happen. But we really got to blame ourselves. We’ve not been good consistently with the bat, ball, and in the field, and the stats don’t lie. That’s why we’re still fourth, with eight points, five losses.”

Now, the Kings face a daunting task: they must defeat the tournament’s undefeated Guyana Amazon Warriors in their final group match on 9th, and then hope other results across the competition go their way to advance to the knockout playoff round.

One of the Caribbean’s most anticipated annual sport-fishing competitions is gearing up for its comeback after pandemic-related disruptions, with early registration numbers already outpacing last year’s totals and approaching pre-2020 participation levels. The 31st edition of the Republic Bank Saint Lucia International Billfish Tournament, first launched in 1991, is set to kick off later this month, and organizers are holding out hope that this year’s event will draw the largest crowd of competitors in its 32-year history.

After a multi-year hiatus forced by global public health restrictions, the iconic offshore competition was officially opened to participants at a launch event held Friday night at IGY Rodney Bay Marina. Anglers from across Saint Lucia, the broader Caribbean region, North and South America, and Europe have already signed on to compete, marking a full return to the tournament’s traditional international appeal.

Organized under the oversight of the Saint Lucia Game Fishing Association (SLGFA), the 2023 tournament will run from September 22 to 26, with a structured schedule that balances administrative prep, on-water competition, and closing celebrations. The first day is reserved for competitor registration and a mandatory captains’ briefing to review course layouts, rules, and safety protocols. Three full days of offshore fishing follow, before the event wraps with official weigh-ins and an awards ceremony on the final day.

Ryan Devaux, who serves dual roles as SLGFA president and CEO of gold sponsor Terra Caribbean Saint Lucia, shared key registration updates ahead of the tournament: 21 boats have already been confirmed for this year’s competition, up from 18 total participating vessels in 2022. Of this year’s confirmed entries, eight are first-time participants, pushing the total number of competing anglers past 120 – a figure that matches pre-pandemic participation totals. With registration still open and late sign-ups still rolling in, the SLGFA says it remains optimistic that 2023 will see a record-breaking turnout for the tournament.

The event has secured longstanding backing from key public and private stakeholders. Republic Bank (Eastern Caribbean) returns as the title sponsor, alongside government support from Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Education, Youth Development, Sports and Digital Transformation through its Alternative Sports Desk.

To align with global sustainable sport-fishing practices, the tournament will operate under official International Game Fish Association rules and utilize a catch-and-release framework for all billfish species. Teams earn points based on successfully releasing blue marlin, sailfish, and white marlin, and are required to submit time-stamped video evidence of each release to tournament officials for verification. For edible gamefish categories, inshore scales at Rodney Bay Marina will be open to weigh catches, with prizes awarded to teams that land the heaviest yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and dorado.

The tournament’s all-time record has stood unbroken for nearly 30 years: the benchmark remains a 707-pound blue marlin caught by Martinique-based angler Jean-Francois Fredonic in 1996. For any competitor that manages to land a larger blue marlin this year, a special grand prize is on offer: a brand-new Jeep.