Team Saint Lucia returned home from the Northern Windward Islands Tapeball Challenge in Dominica with two titles. The visitors won the Invitational Youth title, beating Tafia Boys 1-0, and the Veterans title, beating Dominica 3-1. But they lost 3-0 for the Youth Title and the T10 Blast.
Saint Lucia took five of the eight individual awards on offer. Saint Lucia’s Orey Changoo commanded the overall tournament MVP, scoring two centuries and a half-century. Shon Francis’ 11 wickets were the most among the youth players, whilst the Saint Lucians swept the veterans’ awards.
The MVP was Philip “Ratty” Ismael, who also captured the most wickets, 10. Alvin Lafeuille compiled 119 runs to lead all scorers.
In the youth tournament, Dominica’s Benjamin Casimer was dominant. He was adjudged the best wicketkeeper, scored the most runs (168), and was unsurprisingly named MVP.
Saint Lucia has committed to touring St Vincent & the Grenadines in October to participate in a bilateral series. Coming out of the tour of Dominica, a Northern Windward Islands tapeball team will be selected to tour Antigua & Barbuda and Barbados in 2026.
Cyrus Cepal, the president of Saint Lucia’s National Tapeball Cricket Association, was pleased with the progress he saw in Dominica.
“The tournament was hailed as a huge success,” said Cepal. “The main objective of promoting tapeball in the Windward Islands is bearing fruit.
“Special thanks to the National Lotteries Authority for the kind sponsorship in making this tour possible as we continue to provide the opportunity for sports enthusiasts to exhibit their skills and talents while representing the nation.”
