Youngsters revive cricketing dominance

by Jules Anthony

The North Leeward area continues to be a reservoir of sporting ability here. The latest display has been the inclusion of five players to represent St. Vincent and Grenadines Under-15 cricket team in the 2004 Windward Island Cricket Tournament.{{more}}

That tournament is rolling over in Trinidad and Tobago.

Over the years North Leeward has produced a high percentage of youth players for national duty. The success of youth cricket development in North Leeward is as a result of sponsorship from the St. Vincent Co-Operative Bank, over the past nine years. A number of cricketers from there have progressed to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines at Under-15 and Under-19 levels, and have gone on to represent the Windward Islands at both levels.

Hank Hall, who came through the Under-15 programme, made his debut at the Senior level and showed his skills in the just concluded Windward Islands Cricket tournament. Hall acquitted himself reasonably well in this tournament.

North Leeward Under-15 cricket team won the National Under-15 Cricket tournaments four out of the five years the tournament has been staged. The North Leeward team won the F. O. Mason trophy (symbol of supremacy for Under-15 cricket in SVG) for the past three consecutive years and should be allowed to keep the trophy.

The North Leeward Sports Association, for the first time, placed a team in the First Division of the St. Vincent Cricket Association 2004 season. The team comprised mainly players who came through the North Leeward Youth Programme. It is exciting to report that history was perhaps created with a team winning on their first outing.

This means that North Leeward can have two teams in Senior National competitions in 2005; one in the Premier (the highest level in national cricket) and one in the First Division. Players from North Leeward will be more exposed and better able to show case their talent at a higher level.