Windwards women manager and captain ready for regional challenges

Manager of the Windward Islands senior women cricket team, Roseline Preville is most happy with her appointment and is looking forward to the challenges of managing the senior Windward Islands Women’ Cricket Team, as they take on the other five teams in the 2022 Regional Senior Women cricket tournament in Guyana June 5 – 26, 2022.

Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT last Wednesday at the Sion Hill Playing Field following a gruelling day of training, Preville said that her time as an all-rounder with the Gros-Islet women’ cricket team in 2011, coach, manager, and administrator of the Northern Clusters Grassroots Cricket Programme, manager of Saint Lucia’s Senior Women’ Cricket Team, and currently third vice-president of the St Lucia National Cricket Association with responsibility for women’ cricket, has given her the experience to assist “with the new responsibility, and has contributed to my full knowledge of the position and knowing how to deal with situations and players.”

She pointed out that the players are aware of the responsibility knowing that they are not playing for just St. Vincent and the Grenadines, or Grenada, or any of the individual islands, but are playing for everybody in the Windward Islands.

“We have had several team discussions, several team meetings, wherever we have a plan. Everybody has and everyone knows their role, and it is so much easier when each other knows what she has to do and what the other player has to do,” Preville said.

The players assembled in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), from Sunday May 29, 2022 for a one week training camp, prior to the start of the tournament in Guyana. According to the team manager, “Coming into this camp, players would have had a fair knowledge of what is expected of them. We have had several other team meetings where coaches and management would have discussed with the players, so everybody knows everybody’s assigned roles”.

The squad selected for training to represent the Windward Islands in the 2022 Regional Senior Women’ Cricket tournament are: Afy Fletcher (captain), Akeira Peters, Carena Noel, Jannillea Glasgow, Japhina Joseph, Tracy Byron, Kimone Homer, Edelyn Turtin, Stacy Ann Adams, Malika Edward, Ashlene Edward, Yasmine St. Ange, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Pearl Etienne, and Gem Eloi.

The management team is Roseline Preville – manager; Samantha Lynch, coach; and Junior Murray, assistant coach.

The team manager said the training sessions also include match stimulations, which further emphasized what is each person’s role and responsibility.

“We are looking forward to the games, and once everyone plays their role, we are expecting very, very good results.”

She is cognizant that this year’s tournament is even more challenging, coming out of a Covid shut-down, with no cricket for about two years. While some of the players have been playing it was more of the Twenty/20 version, but the June 5-26 tournament in Guyana is 50-over and Twenty/20, respectively.

“I believe that our team is equally poised to participate and win in any of the formats. We have been working harder. Yes, we have had issues with Covid.

However, we are not the only team which suffered because of Covid,” Preville said.

“Covid is a global pandemic and the other countries would have had their challenges as well. However, we have kept training in a safe environment and the ladies are very eager, and they are very excited to come out and to put in the hard work. And I am certainly sure that we will be victorious.”

Meanwhile, Afy Fletcher commenting on her selection as team skipper said, “I would not say expected or caught me by surprise, but being the captain previously and you know, I think they still believe in me. I still think that I did the job pretty well so basically, it is not any surprise. I think just looking at the team and my experience; they decided to go with me as the captain to lead the team.”

With regard to leading a group of players from different islands, Fletcher said: “It is a pretty challenging thing for the group of girls but it is always fun to be around them. You will get different cultures and experiences with them. So you know, I always look forward to those things.

Fletcher will be coming up against some of her West Indies colleagues, and she said that these battles on the field are “ always about going out there and putting your best foot forward and always being given the best that you can”.