PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) - St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG)
Coach, Roxell John, has identified hard work and team unity as key areas in his team’s success in the 2004 West Indies Women’s Cricket League Championship.
SVG emphatically defeated former champions St Lucia by six wickets on Tuesday to clinch the title, ending their schedule with an unbeatable 16 points.
“The ladies are extremely happy to be crowned champions. It’s a reward that was long in coming,” John told CMC Sport.
“The ladies really, really worked hard, it was teamwork, high spirits, and the team was pretty well prepared,” he added.
SVG are idle on Wednesday’s final day of matches, but no other team can reach their points tally.
West Indies player Juliana Nero, with an unbeaten 63, and medium pacer Melissa Billingy (3-17) were the star performers for the new champions on Tuesday as they successfully chased 149 runs, with two overs to spare.
John said the players executed the game plan perfectly.
“The ladies really, really focused on what we asked them to do. We were (only) 50 for one off 25 overs trying to get 149 and that was part and parcel of what we asked them to do: ‘stay there, occupy the crease and the runs would come’.
“It became easier for those who came later, so following instructions was one of the greater areas that helped our team to victory in this tournament,” John said.
John said the players were not bothered by the reputation of the St Lucians, who had won six consecutive league titles between 1997 and 2002.
"They went out there very focused, forgetting -- as we had instructed them -- the past of St Lucia in terms of history in this competition," he said.
After a rain-abandoned no-result in their scheduled opener against 2003 double champions Trinidad and Tobago, SVG reeled off five consecutive wins -- against Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, and St Lucia -- to win the tournament handsomely.
John believes defeating Trinidad and Tobago en route to the title would have made the triumph sweeter, and they are anxious to beat the home side in the knockout tournament.
“We are not in charge of the weather conditions, but we are prepared to do that (beat T&T) in the knockout competition,” he said.