Starting Monday, the West Indies Men’s Under-19 team will host their Sri Lankan counterparts in a seven-match Youth One Day International series in Antigua & Barbuda. And whereas Saint Lucia will not be represented on the pitch, Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre assistant coach Dalton Polius has been handed his first regional assignment, supporting head coach Rohan Nurse.
This series serves as vital match preparation for the side ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia next January and represents a key component of Cricket West Indies’ ongoing commitment to youth development by providing emerging stars with invaluable international experience against quality opposition.
The regional side will also contest a tri-series with England and the US later in the year to aid their preparation for the international showpiece at the turn of the year.
The games will be played at two of the island’s premier venues, Coolidge Cricket Ground and the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.
The series will showcase the Caribbean’s most promising cricket talent. Joshua Dorne leads the squad, which includes one player from the Windward Islands.
“Well, we have young Earsinho Fontaine from Dominica, Dorne from Barbados, and many other young players who did really well in the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 tournament that was held in St Kitts & Nevis. It’s a 16-man squad. So, I’m looking forward to working with the young players,” Polius said.
He has held his current role with the HPC since its inception nearly two years ago. He has also worked with the Saint Lucia national team and the Windward Islands at various age group levels. As an up-and-coming coach, he sees this appointment as a vital step in his progression and development.
“Well, of course it means a great deal,” he said. “Anytime you get appointed to a West Indies coaching setup, it is a big achievement. I’m looking forward to working with the senior coaches as well. Jerome Taylor is one of the assistant coaches as well. So I am looking to pick his brain. I think it’s a good step in my development that I’ve been recognised to coach the best young players in the Caribbean.
“In terms of fast bowling, that’s one aspect of my coaching to develop as well. So, more and more knowledge in how to work with fast bowlers, which will obviously translate to my work in the HPC as well. And also just working with the other coaches, and seeing how my Sri Lankan counterparts work as well. So, it’s important for my overall development as a coach.”
Polius noted that the HPC had not been in full swing in recent months, with local and regional competitions including the Saint Lucia Premier League, Dream 11 Saint Lucia T10 Blast, WINLOTT Windward Islands Men’s Super 50 and West Indies Breakout League.
He revealed, however, that the focus of the youngsters at the moment is on an Under-23 bilateral tour to Dominica in October.
“Most of our players are within that age group,” Polius explained. “So we’re going to really focus on just getting them ready for red ball cricket. So that is one of the things we’re looking to in the next eight-week period.”
Polius said he has been pleased to see strong performances from a couple of Saint Lucians, who are part of the HPC, in the just-concluded CWI Under-17 Men’s Tournament. Theo Edward scored a fine century in the opening round of play, and Cody Fontinelle followed up with a six-wicket haul in the following fixture.
