If ever there was a fixture worthy of a Prime Minister’s Cup Final, it was the clash between Babonneau and Choiseul at Mindoo Philip Park on Saturday, March 28. Played in front of a boisterous crowd of largely Choiseul supporters, the match went down to the last ball, mirroring last year’s thrilling finish. Not even the excessive rainflies at the ground could dampen the excitement of the game.
Coming into the final, Babonneau had played the role of giant slayers, defeating Gros Islet and Central Castries in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Meanwhile, Choiseul had to topple testy neighbours Soufriere in their semifinal at La Fargue, positioning them to battle against last year’s defending champions.
Batting first, Choiseul got off to an absolute flyer, led by Jason Simon’s 41-run blitz. However, the game was pegged back significantly by Sacchin Cepal, who was later named the Most Valuable Player. En route to figures of 4-18, Cepal made the early inroads for the men in yellow, reducing the score to 78-3 after the fielding restrictions in what was otherwise a batting-dominant period.
The middle-over magic of Babonneau’s spinners—Larry Edward (2-16) and Yunieski Gustave (2-19)—tightened the screws further, restricting Choiseul to what seemed at the time to be an underwhelming first-innings total of 137-9.
In reply, Babonneau lost the early wickets of experienced openers Dane Edward and Johnnel Eugene during the powerplay. The middle overs were slow but steady, as the team sought to consolidate after the early losses. After 10 overs, Babonneau was 59-2, with 78 required from the remaining 60 deliveries. A few hefty blows from the batsmen suddenly made the total look mundane.
But cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties, and just when it looked like Babonneau was poised to finish comfortably, chaos ensued. Runouts, flying stumps, and a procession of batters getting in and getting out created a tense atmosphere, ensuring that the men from the West Coast would not go down without a fight.
Babonneau could lay much of the blame for this on Choiseul skipper Kuston Jules, who finished with six wickets across his four overs, conceding just 27 runs. He brought himself on to defend the final six runs in his and the innings’ last over. Jules started his final six deliveries perfectly, bagging two wickets in his first two balls. The next four balls read: wide, dot, two runs, and one run—placing victory two runs away from the final delivery of the innings.
McKay Brigitte, who had failed to connect with the ball on five of his six deliveries faced up to that point, came up clutch. He hit the ball down to third man, where a misfield allowed for a brace between the wickets. Long into the night, Babonneau wildly celebrated back-to-back titles, achieving victory by one wicket.
In a post-match interview with St. Lucia Times, now two-time PM Cup-winning head coach Jervaughn Charles noted that the nail-biter took its toll on him on the sidelines. He also offered strong commiserations to Choiseul after a well-fought match.
“I mean, it’s just a nerve-wracking, emotional rollercoaster for us as Babonneau,” he admitted. “I think what we do is that we just fight until the very last ball, and it has worked for us two years in a row. I really want to congratulate my team, from the 11 to the persons who are helping on the sidelines.
“We’re just a team that just tries to make it happen one way or the other, and I really want to commend Choiseul. It’s just an amazing feeling when you could battle for your win, it wasn’t an easy win, and like I tell all players, just keep your head up, you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
In the post-match ceremony, the following noteworthy performers were highlighted:
- Finals MVP – Sacchin Cepal
- Most Runs – Stephen Naitram (359)
- Most Wickets – Dillan John (14)
- Tournament MVP – Dane Edward
