Following on the heels of World ranked high-jumper Levern Spencer’s latest achievement at the North American, Central Caribbean and the Caribbean (NACAC)/ Central American and Caribbean (CAC) double gold medal wins in Canada and Columbia over two weekends, there is more good news for Saint Lucia sportsmen and sportswomen, this time in cricket.
The VOICE has learnt that Babonneau Secondary School Student and a resident of the community, Kimani Melius, has been selected to represent the West Indies B team on a tour to Canada.
The VOICE also confirmed that a call was placed to the talented batsman by Cricket West Indies (CWI) officials.
The 17-year-old Melius has been one of the more consistent young cricketers in the region in recent times.
At the 2018 ICC Under -19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, the young opening batsman had scores of 7 against Sri Lanka; 21 versus Ireland; 60 against Kenya; 24 versus South Africa; 78 against New Zealand and 0 versus Papua New Guinea.
The VOICE spoke to former national cricketer who is also Melius’ cricket coach, Alton Crafton, about his latest achievement, He said, “Obviously I was very elated, very happy hearing the news, because sometimes people play and never get recognized, the selectors over look them, it is very refreshing”.
He continued, “When I saw Kimani in New Zealand, practicing is one thing, training is another, but when you are able to perform on the World stage and the way I saw him handle himself against New Zealand scoring 78 and 60 versus Kenya it surely shows he has whatever it takes to move on”.
“I am very happy and let’s hope he can continue in his growth and go on to make it onto the West Indies senior team in the not too distant future”. Noted Crafton.
Last year in the CWI Under- 19 tournament Melius finished the 3 day version with the highest aggregate of runs. He scored an amazing 441 runs which included a century versus Jamaica and 4 half centuries.
The young opener currently holds the Saint Lucia National Cricket record for registering the highest individual score ever by any batsman in a single inning 275 for his school (Babonneau Secondary) in the 2015 Massy United Insurance Under – 19 Schools Cricket Tournament.
Between 2013 and now he has recorded 25 centuries, including 2 double centuries and 68 half-centuries.
His latest half century 53 was scored against Trinidad and Tobago in the CWI Under -19 three day tournament in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; he also had scores of 3/30 against the Leeward Islands, 25/43 against Jamaica.
