Rain did not dampen what proved to be an intriguing second weekend of the Sandals/Saint Lucia National Cricket Association (SLNCA) Under‑19 Cricket tournament, which concluded on Sunday, with varied results across the league phase. Among the highlights were two strong finishes from Gros Islet, an abandoned match due to inclement weather, and several other noteworthy outcomes.
Gros Islet’s first victory came in emphatic fashion, thrashing Babonneau by a stunning 210 runs at Mindoo Philip Park on Saturday. Batting first, the boys from the North amassed 245-8 in a fixture restricted to 38 overs per side. Their effort was largely bolstered by an impressive innings from Kanil Nelson, who scored 99, falling agonisingly short of what would have been a well‑deserved century. Nelson’s knock included nine fours and two sixes. With the ball, Rahyeem Leon was the chief destroyer for Babonneau, bagging three wickets for just eight runs.
Babonneau were subsequently skittled out for only 35 runs, undone by the brilliance of Neil Poyotte, who claimed 5-10. He was ably supported by Kaleb Charles, who took 3-18.
Meanwhile, Soufriere and Choiseul were forced to share points after their match at the La Fargue Playing Field was abandoned due to rain.
On February 1, Gros Islet repeated their winning ways, this time defeating Castries Central by 28 runs in a rematch of last year’s joint victors. Having won the toss, Central opted to bowl first and managed to take wickets at regular intervals, with Gros Islet batters getting starts but none passing the 50‑run milestone. The turning point came with a 64‑run seventh‑wicket stand between Kaleb Charles and Jean Claude Emmanuel. Both finished on 33 runs, with Emmanuel unbeaten at the close of the 38‑over innings.
Captain Theo Edward was the pick of the bowlers for Central, taking 3-35. He also led the charge with the bat, scoring an impressive 74 off 79 deliveries. However, apart from Aiden Scholar’s 17 off 19 balls, Edward received little support. Central were eventually bowled out for 164.
Babonneau’s struggles continued in their fixture against South Castries, where they were dismissed for 36 runs and lost by eight wickets. A fierce bowling partnership between captain Nathaniel Joseph and Evan Gilbert proved decisive. Joseph finished with figures of 5-15, while Gilbert claimed 4-19.
At the Philip Marcellin Grounds, Mabouya Valley endured a tough outing, bowled out for just 17 runs against Choiseul. Christian Peter and Jeanneil Williams combined for eight wickets, each taking four, Peter conceding four runs and Williams just one. Liam Charlemagne added two wickets without conceding a run. Choiseul made light work of the chase, wrapping up the total within two overs to secure an eight‑wicket victory.
To wrap up the round of fixtures, Mon Repos claimed a six-wicket victory against Soufriere. Soufiere batted first and posted 139 all out in the first innings. The backbone of this effort would be Zinakki Louis, who posted 42 runs off 37 deliveries. Clint Dickson and Hervon Jn Charles would finish with three wickets apiece.
In reply with the bat, the Boys from the East Coast would claim victory, due to a standout performance by Micah Naitram. The opener held his bat throughout the innings, guiding his team to victory.
The action continues at grounds across the island on February 7.
