SAINT Lucia youth cricketers continue to make waves in sub-regional cricket: a record seven Under-17 players from here have been named to the Windward Islands team to play in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Under-17 Tournament scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago next month.
Left-arm orthodox spinner and former captain of the Saint Lucia National Under-15 team Simeon Gerson — a form 5 student of St. Mary’s College — led the charge.
Gerson is a lower-order batsman and bowls left-arm orthodox spin and he represented SMC in the Massy Insurance Under-19 schools cricket tournament. He is also a member of the victorious Gros Islet Under-19 cricket team who recently won the inaugural Sandals Cup versus Babonneau. In fact, he finished with the most wickets in that tournament.
Hard-hitting right-hand top-order batsman Garvin Serieux Jr, who last year toured England with the West Indies Under-16 team — and fresh off his team (Gros Islet) winning the inaugural Sandals Cup, is also in the Windward Islands mix.
Serieux is an accomplished wicketkeeper and also bowls right-arm off-spin whenever call upon.
Like Serieux, Lee Solomon toured with the West Indies Under-16 team to England last year. Lee is a top left-hand batsman and right-arm seamer. A student of the Corinth Secondary School, he represented his school at the Massy United Insurance Under-19 schools cricket tournament and at the national level he also played for the victorious Gros Islet team in the recently-won Sandals Cup.
Also returning to the Windward Islands Under-17 team is all-rounder Dominic Auguste, a top-order left-hand batsman and right-arm off spinner, also a student of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, which he represented in this year’s Massy Insurance Under-19 Schools cricket tournament.
This year saw SALCC sharing the championship trophy with Entreport Secondary School after play was abandoned due to rain. He was also part of the victorious Gros Islet Under-19 cricket team that recently won the inaugural Sandals Cup, defeating Babonneau in the finals at the Mindoo Phillip Park.
Just days after getting a call-up by the CWI Selectors as part of the West Indies Under-15 Cricket Team to tour the United Kingdom in August 2018, Saint Lucia’s National Under-15 Captain, a student of St. Mary’s College, is also in the Windward Islands set up.
He represented SMC in this year’s Massy United Insurance Under-19 cricket tournament, while in the Sandals Cup; he represented Babonneau in the finals. He did not trouble the scorers too much, as he was out LBW for 4 with a delivery that kept low.
According to national cricket coach Alton Crafton, Auguste is a left-handed batsman with excellent technique; Ackeem also is a very proficient wicket keeper and a very handy right-arm leg-spinner.
Crafton said during the 2017 – 2018 Windward Islands Under-15 Cricket Tournament which took place in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the stylish left-handed batsman remarkably made two centuries, 138 not out versus the eventual winners Grenada and an even 100 versus Dominica.
No other batsman in the history of Windward Islands Under-15 Cricket has had such an honour of scoring two centuries in a single tournament.
Thus far in his infant career he has recorded three centuries and 24 half-centuries.
Ackeem served as captain of the Windward Islands Under-15 Cricket Team in the 2018 CWI Regional Under-15 Tournament, which took place in Jamaica from March 26 to April 4.
He has been dubbed as a replica of former West Indies middle order batsman Keith Arthurton.
Keygan Arnold is a student of the Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary school and a well-accomplished batsman and left-arm orthodox spinner. He represented his school in the Massy United Insurance Schools Cricket tournament and at the national level he represents Central Castries, He was also part of the set up in this year’s Sandals Cup. ,
Finally, there’s Tyran Theodore, who is no stranger to the game. He has represented Saint Lucia at the Under-15 level in the past.
Theodore is a left -arm seamer and lower order batsman who played for Beanefield Comprehensive Secondary School in the Massy United Insurance Under-19 Schools Cricket tournament and also represented Vieux Fort North in the recently-held Sandals Cup.
