The Sandals/Saint Lucia National Cricket Association Under-19 Cricket Tournament officially bowled off at the Mindoo Philip Park on January 25. The tournament unites eight district teams across four venues in a showcase of talent, passion, and community pride over the coming weeks, featuring thrilling 50-over cricket action.
The first fixture pitted two teams from the Castries basin against each other, as South Castries faced joint 2025 tournament victors Central Castries in a day/night match. Prior to the start of play, an official opening ceremony set the tone for the tournament.
When the match eventually began, it was reduced to 35 overs per side due to rain and other time restrictions. South Castries won the toss and opted to bowl first. While the team struggled with extras in the early overs, they restricted scoring off the bat, which eventually led to a cascade of wickets for Central Castries.
The only player to reach double figures for Central was Tyler Venner, who played remarkably well for his 49 runs, including five fours and one six. He was unlucky not to reach what would have been a well-deserved half-century. The team was eventually bowled out for 118, with extras accounting for 25 of those runs. Nathaniel Joseph was the standout performer with the ball for South Castries, bagging four wickets for 29 runs.
With a slim total to defend, Central needed to bowl well — and that is exactly what they did. The team bundled out South Castries for just 65, largely through a steady diet of spin. Last year’s Most Valuable Player, Theo Edward, made up for his off day with the bat by bagging four wickets for 16 runs during a spell bowled largely in tandem with leg-spinner Aiden Scholar, who finished with a remarkable three wickets for just six runs conceded off his seven overs. Extras accounted for almost half of South Castries’ total, with 32 runs conceded via this route.
This early win catapults Central Castries to the top of the table, with several fixtures still to come.
