Elibox stars with ball as Saint Lucia win U23 cricket series

After starring with the bat on Thursday, Jaden Elibox excelled with the ball on Friday as Saint Lucia beat Dominica for the second day in a row to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-game 50-over Under-23 bilateral cricket series. Elibox took four wickets and captain Noelle Leo hit a half-century in a five-wicket win.

Scores: Dominica 149-9 off 20 overs, Saint Lucia 153-5 off 17.3 overs.

Winning the toss at Benjamin’s Park in Portsmouth, Dominica opted to bat in a match reduced to 20 overs a side, but they might have rued that decision when captain Stephan Pascal was dismissed for five off Elibox. Earsinho Fontaine was then run out for six, with Elibox again involved. 

The home team settled for a bit, Lluvio Charles leading the way with 72. Left-arm pacer Aaron Joseph broke up a 45-run partnership by taking the wicket of Malaki Xavier for 10. Elibox then dismissed Jedd Joseph for 19 after a 53-run collaboration with Charles. 

The middle order proved brittle, as Kyron Phillip fell to Elibox for six, the last of his wickets, and he ended with 4-35 from 3.5 overs. Neo Davis was run out for a duck. Dionnie Rolle went to Lee John for nine. And Delaney Alexander was out to Aaron Joseph for two. Joseph took 2-20. 

Noelle Leo and Theo Edward got off to a brilliant start in the chase, adding 69 runs inside the first five overs. Leo faced just 18 balls to get to 57, with eight fours and three sixes. Only slightly more circumspect, Edward shepherded the chase past the triple-figure mark, falling for 48 from 34 in the 11th over, having hit two fours and five sixes. The score was 122-2 when he headed back to the dugout in the 11th over, the finish well in sight.

Kensley Paul made 11, Bolton Sayers eight, and Cody Lesmond six. Tarrique Edward faced just four balls and concluded matters definitively, smashing it over the boundary in the 17th over to bring up the winning runs with 15 balls remaining.

Saint Lucia have repeated as 50-over champions over Dominica, with one game to spare. The two teams will also engage in a three-day match.