WINLOTT WINDWARD ISLAND UNDER-15 CRICKET TOURNAMENT HAS ENDED WITH SAINT LUCIA DOMINATING THE 50-OVER COMPETITION.
It was dubbed the battle of the Saints II – the second time in three days that Saint Vincent would come up against a dominant Saint Lucia team.
The hosts were put in to bat – and Theo Edward took full advantage racing to 104 comprising 15 fours and 4 sixes in 78 balls. Tyler Venner contributed 70 and Aaron St. Clair 38 in Saint Lucia’s score of 270 in 50 overs, their lowest total in the tournament. Saint Vincent’s reply was promising until Saint Lucia’s leading wicket taker Leon Alexander checked the momentum taking 4 for 39 in 10 overs.
Regular losses did not help as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines folded for 110 off 28 overs through a catch fittingly taken by Theo Edward who was thrilled to secure the title for Saint Lucia. The Saint Vincent coach was disappointed his batters were unable to chase what could have been a reasonable score.
For Saint Lucia– it was just rewards for hard work, especially in the batting department which had been of some concern.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports which was instrumental in the team preparation was pleased with their investment in the Under-15 team. For Theo Edward the tournament’s leading scorer – it was historic. He scored 198 against Dominica, 101 against Grenada and 137 against Saint Vincent and in the final – he 104 against Saint Vincent – a record breaking total of 540 runs in 4 matches.
Saint Lucia dominated with the ball – no team got to 50 overs. Leon Alexander was the leading wicket taker – with a total of 17 wickets.
The victories were emphatic, with Saint Lucia winning by 298 runs against Dominica; by 403 runs against Grenada; by 201 runs against Saint Vincent and in the final by 160 runs against Saint Vincent.
There’s a short Christmas break for these young cricketers. Training will resume shortly for the 2023 competition. Some of these players will be graduating to the Under-19 set up, but for the time being they’re savoring the moment.