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Mary E. Pigott Primary School were crowned champions of the 2025 Ministry of Sports Primary School Cricket Tournament on Friday at Rising Sun Cricket Ground, defeating Island Academy in the final of the five-over unisex competition.
Under the guidance of Coach Deran Benta, in his second year at the helm, Mary E. Pigott surged past their competitors to claim the title, with Island Academy finishing as runners-up and New Winthorpes Primary taking third place.
Coach Benta was quick to credit his young captain and vice-captain for the team’s success, highlighting the leadership of Ezekiel George and AJ Kirwan as instrumental to the championship victory.
“It was a pretty good competition, played against some great teams,” Benta said after the final. “I must say hats off to Amahl, his coaching. As you can see, St Nicholas and Island Academy, they are proper, proper cricketers.”
The coach revealed his unique approach to managing the team, allowing his captain to make crucial tactical decisions during matches. “I want to shout out my players, most likely the Captain and the Vice Captain, Ezekiel George and AJ Kirwan. Without them, I don’t know if we would have won. I just let them enjoy themselves, I didn’t tell them who to bowl or who to bat, I just let him as a captain do it, so he enjoyed himself.”
For Benta, winning the tournament in his second year of coaching at the event was a significant achievement.
“And for my second year doing this and winning a competition, I take that as an A+,” he said.
Island Academy’s second-place finish represented a remarkable improvement from their third-place showing in 2024, particularly impressive given the challenges they faced this year.
Coach Amahl Nathaniel, who also coaches St Nicholas Primary School, was proud of his team’s performance. “After coming third last year with Islands Academy, to come back this year and come second, after losing a significant number of players, it was a great feat for the kids. They put their best foot forward and that’s all I could ask for them.”
Nathaniel used the platform to advocate for increased support for grassroots cricket development. “I’m hoping that the ministry can really get a hold of this tournament and make it something big because cricket starts on the developmental stage, grassroot, and if we can nail the grassroot, we can have a beautiful crop coming through. I’ve seen some tremendous talent throughout the tournament from various teams. Once we keep nurturing that talent, the sky’s the limit.”
The tournament featured over 12 primary schools from across Antigua, with teams travelling from as far east as Freetown, as far south as Old Road, and as far north as Cedar Grove.
New Winthorpes Primary rounded out the top three in what proved to be an exciting showcase of the island’s emerging cricket talent.
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