Saint Lucia’s 14-man squad for the Windward Islands Senior Men’s Tournament includes a new captain, the return of one of the island’s most destructive batters after missing out last year, and four players hoping to make their senior debuts. The tournament runs from July 26 to August 3 in Grenada.
Shadrack Descarte will captain the team, with fellow allrounder Tarrique Edward as vice-captain. Descarte was chosen after strong performances with the Windward Islands Volcanoes and the Saint Lucia Kings. Edward worked his way up through the youth teams and made his senior debut in 2023.
Other key players returning with Descarte are former West Indies Under-19 captain Kimani Melius, Windward Islands wicketkeeper Noelle Leo, left-arm spinner Jaden Elibox and fast-bowling allrounder Tyrel Chicot.
Stephen Naitram, a 31-year-old opening batsman from Forestierre, has excelled in domestic competitions such as the Dream11 T10 Blast and Saint Lucia Premier League. He also helped the Banana Warriors to victory in the 2024 Nature Isle T10. Naitram returns to the national setup in the absence of West Indies player Ackeem Auguste and former Windwards youth captain Johnnel Eugene.
The squad includes four newcomers: Dominic Auguste, Joshua Cepal, Royce Paul and Tyler Venner. Cepal and Paul are promising fast bowlers looking to fill the gap left by Keon Gaston and McKenny Clarke. Venner, an allrounder, recently scored consecutive half-centuries in the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars 50-Over Championship. Auguste is a powerful top-order batter and also serves as backup wicketkeeper.
Windwards Under-19 captain and opening batsman Theo Edward also had a good showing at the recent regional youth competition. The squad includes right-arm offspinner Lee John and left-arm medium pacer Shawnil Edward as well.
Former West Indies offspinner Garey Mathurin will be the head coach. He is a Level 3 coach and has worked with the Windward Islands Volcanoes before. Nerville Florence returns as manager, a position he has held for the past two years.
Saint Lucia will take on the Commonwealth of Dominica in a one-off three-day match starting Sunday at Tanteen. The Super-50 Championship begins next Thursday, with defending champions Saint Lucia playing St Vincent & the Grenadines at Tanteen. The team will then face Dominica and Grenada at La Sagesse, with the final scheduled for Monday, August 3 at the same ground.
