Nerissa “Breezy” Crafton marked her return to competitive action with a brilliant century at the Wenn Playing Field last weekend, steering the Elizabeth William XI to a 39-run win over the Roselyn Emmanuel XI in a 40-over practice match. The 28-year-old former West Indies allrounder told St Lucia Times she was pleased with her knock.
Out of action since January due to injury, the Gros Islet native retired not out on 116 as the William XI compiled 209-6 from 29.1 overs. Shaika Joseph added 16, and Gulia McLaurent contributed 13, supported by 44 extras from the opposition. Selena Ross took 2-37 and Krishna Joseph 2-36 for the Emmanuel XI.
In response, the Emmanuel XI reached 170-9 in 19.5 overs. Allyah Alfred led the chase with 33, and Cassie Joseph scored 28, but 4-41 runs from Emma Joseph and 3-36 from Ammie Antoine sealed the result.
For Crafton, the knock represented a return on months of rehabilitation. She noted that stepping back onto the field after nine months away and producing a triple-figure score reflected the time spent working back to match readiness.
Crafton played six matches for the regional team between 2024 and 2025. Whilst a recall remains a target, she said that managing her return takes precedence over distant milestones.
“I am not trying to think too far ahead,” she told St Lucia Times. “I’m basically trying to get myself back into the groove. The moment you start thinking of the bigger picture, you tend to fall back. I would love to be back on the West Indies team – that is one of my main life goals, basically. It is good to see huge improvements in my cricket, and that is good for me. Hopefully, I can put my hands up again and get a call-up.”
Competitive women’s cricket is back on the domestic calendar across Saint Lucia after several years. Crafton noted that the staging of a recent 50-over tournament and ongoing T20 practice matches has brought a crop of younger players into the setup, providing much-needed match practice and depth for the local women’s programme.
“Being able to have these games, especially playing T20 cricket and 50-over cricket, shows there is still so much talent, and that’s good to see,” said Crafton. “In Saint Lucia, I saw so many young girls coming in, putting their hands up, and so many new faces as well. That is good for women’s cricket moving forward.”
