The Leeward Islands cricket team is a

first class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

team representing the member countries of the

Leeward Islands Cricket Association The Leeward Islands Cricket Association, also known as the Leeward Islands Cricket Board (more often since 2015), is the ruling body for cricket in the following Caribbean islands: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda (founding member in 1913), the Britis ...

, an associate of the

West Indies Cricket Board Cricket West Indies (CWI) is the governing body for cricket in the West Indies (a sporting confederation of over a dozen mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries and dependencies that once formed the British West Indies). It was originally ...

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...

Saint Kitts Saint Kitts, officially the Saint Christopher Island, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis cons ...

Nevis Nevis is a small island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Ne ...

Anguilla Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...

Montserrat Montserrat ( ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, with r ...

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

US Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...

and

Sint Maarten Sint Maarten () is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. With a population of 41,486 as of January 2019 on an area of , it encompasses the southern 44% of the divided island of Saint Martin, while the north ...

are members of the Leeward Islands Cricket Association. The team does not participate in any international competitions (though Antigua and Barbuda took part at the

1998 Commonwealth Games The 1998 Commonwealth Games ''(Malay: Sukan Komanwel 1998)'', officially known as the XVI Commonwealth Games ''(Malay: Sukan Komanwel ke-16)'', was a multi-sport event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This edition is marked by several unprecedent ...

), but rather in inter-regional competitions in the Caribbean, such as the

Regional Four Day Competition The Regional Four Day Competition, formerly known as Shell Shield and Carib Beer Cup, is the First Class Cricket, first-class cricket competition in the West Indian cricket team, West Indies. It is administered by the Cricket West Indies. In t ...

and the

Regional Super50 The Super50 Cup, currently named the CG Insurance Super50 Cup for sponsorship purposes is the domestic one-day cricket competition in the West Indies. It was previously known as the KFC Cup until the fast food chain pulled out of sponsorship in ...

) The team competes in regional cricket under the franchise name Leeward Islands Hurricanes. The Leeward Islands has won a total of ten domestic titles – four in

and six in

one-day cricket Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket or white ball cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day. There are a number of formats, including List A cricket (8-hour games), Twenty ...

, but their last title was in 1997–98 when they won the double (although the first-class title was shared with

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

). The list of prominent cricketers who have played for the Leewards Islands includes

Curtly Ambrose Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose KCN (born 21 September 1963) is an Antiguan former cricketer who played 98 Test matches for the West Indies. Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, he took 405 Test wickets at ...

Eldine Baptiste Eldine Ashworth Elderfield Baptiste (born 12 March 1960) is an Antiguan former professional cricketer. He played in 10 Test matches – all of which resulted in West Indian victories – and 43 One Day Internationals (ODI) for the West Indies, b ...

, Kenny Benjamin,

Winston Benjamin Winston Keithroy Matthew Benjamin (born 31 December 1964) is a former Antiguan cricketer who played 21 Tests and 85 One Day Internationals for the West Indies. He is also the father of world champion athlete Rai Benjamin. Domestic career Ben ...

Sheldon Cottrell Sheldon Shane Cottrell (born 19 August 1989) is a Jamaican international cricketer who plays for the West Indies cricket team. He is a left-arm fast-medium bowler and a right-handed batsman. Early life Before starting his cricket career, he sta ...

, George Ferris,

Ridley Jacobs Ridley Detamore Jacobs (born 26 November 1967) is a former Antiguan cricketer, who played as a left-handed wicketkeeper batsman for the West Indian cricket team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was the first opening batsman to carry his bat ...

Viv Richards Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards (born 7 March 1952) is an Antiguan retired cricketer who represented the West Indies cricket team between 1974 and 1991. Batting generally at number three in a dominant West Indies side, Richards is widely ...

Richie Richardson Sir Richard Benjamin Richardson, KCN (born 12 January 1962) is a former West Indies international cricketer and a former captain of the West Indian cricket team. He was a flamboyant batsman and superb player of fast bowling. He was famous for ...

, Andy Roberts and Hayden Walsh Jr.

History

The Leeward Islands played their inaugural first-class game in 1958, and lost by an innings and 19 runs to

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

. However, their first win did not come until 1968–69, when they beat

by 43 runs at the

Warner Park Sporting Complex Warner Park Sporting Complex is an athletic facility in Basseterre, St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis. It includes the Warner Park Stadium, which was one of the hosts for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is named after Thomas Warner (explorer), Sir T ...

ground. From 1965–66 to 1980–81 the team competed as the Combined Islands in first-class cricket, along with the best cricketers from the

Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth ...

. However, when regular one-day competitions began in 1975–76 the island groups were separate, and the Leeward Islands won on their third outing in 1977–78. In 1981–82 the Leeward Islands made their debut in the Shell Shield with a 57-run win over the Windward Islands (the season after the Combined Islands had won the title), but it was to take eight seasons until they could lift the first-class trophy – which by then had been renamed the Red Stripe Cup. From 1989–90 to 1997–98, however, the Leeward Islands won five first-class titles (one shared) and four one-day titles (one shared), but since then they have failed to win any major trophy in the West Indies.

Squad

----

Notable players

The list of prominent cricketers who have represented the Leeward Islands includes: *

* Kenny Benjamin *

* Andy Roberts *

* Sylvester Joseph * Sheldon Cotterell *

Keith Arthurton Keith Lloyd Thomas Arthurton (born 21 February 1965) is a former West Indian cricketer. Having become only the third player to hail from Nevis, the middle order batsman/left-arm orthodox bowler played in 33 Tests between July 1988 and August 19 ...

Derick Parry Derick Recaldo Parry (born 22 December 1954) is a former cricketer from St Kitts and Nevis who played 12 Tests and six One Day Internationals for the West Indies. Parry was a lower-order right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler. Pa ...

* Stuart Williams *

Runako Morton Runako Shakur Morton (22 July 1978 – 4 March 2012) was a Nevisian cricketer who played for West Indies in all formats of the game. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-handed offbreak bowler. Domestic career A lively, often unpredicta ...

Kieran Powell Kieran Omar Akeem Powell (born 6 March 1990) is a Nevisian sportsman who has played international cricket for the West Indies. He is a left-handed opening batsman. Having represented the West Indies under-19s at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, ...

Omari Banks Omari Ahmed Clement Banks (born 17 July 1982) is an Anguillan musician and former cricketer, who appeared in 10 Test matches for the West Indies, as well as domestic matches for the Leeward Islands. In 2011, Banks began to pursue his musical ca ...

Lionel Baker Lionel Sionne Baker (born 6 September 1984) is a West Indian former cricketer who has played first-class cricket for the Leeward Islands. He is the first person from Montserrat to have represented the West Indies at Test cricket. Personal life ...

Adam Sanford Adam Sanford (born 12 July 1975) is a former professional cricketer who played eleven Test cricket, Test matches for the West Indies cricket team, West Indies between 2002 and 2004. He later qualified for the United States national cricket team, ...

Grounds

The Leeward Islands play cricket on all the islands, though the only ground to have seen Test cricket (and also the ground with the most home matches, with 50 first-class games) is the

Antigua Recreation Ground Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team. It had Tes ...

. However, their last match at the ARG was in February 2009, while another traditional ground,

Warner Park Warner Park is a community park on the northeast side of Madison, Wisconsin near Lake Mendota. Warner Park is also the home to the Madison Mallards baseball team, a member of the Northwoods League. Its stadium, nicknamed the "Duck Pond", was ...

St Kitts Saint Kitts, officially the Saint Christopher Island, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis cons ...

, with 28 first-class games with Leeward Islands, was revamped for the

2007 Cricket World Cup The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth Cricket World Cup, a One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007. There were a total of 51 matches played, three fewer than at the ...

. In the 2004–05 season, the Leeward Islands played their home games at

Salem Oval The Salem Oval is a cricket ground located in the village of Salem, Montserrat. The ground was constructed following the destruction of Montserrat's main cricket ground in Plymouth, which was destroyed in the Soufrière Hills eruption of 1997. ...

(

), Edgar Gilbert Sporting Complex (

), Carib Lumber Ball Park (

Addelita Cancryn Junior High School Ground The Addelita Cancryn Junior High School Ground was a cricket ground located in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the United States Virgin Islands. The ground belongs to the Addelita Cancryn Junior High School. History The first recorded cricket ...

( St. Thomas) and Grove Park (

Honours

(4): 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1997–98 (shared) * Domestic one-day competition (7): 1977–78 (shared), 1981–82, 1992–93 (shared), 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2010–11

References

External links

Cricinfo

at CricketArchive
Leeward Islands Cricket – Info from West Indies Cricket Board
{{West Indies first class cricket teams West Indian first-class cricket teams Cricket in Antigua and Barbuda Cricket in Saint Kitts and Nevis Cricket in Anguilla Cricket in the British Virgin Islands Cricket in Montserrat Cricket in the United States Virgin Islands Cricket in the Leeward Islands Cricket clubs established in 1980 1980 establishments in North America