Cricket is played by hitting a bowled ball with a flat bat and scoring runs by running between two sets of wooden sticks called wickets. A match can last anywhere from a few hours (in the shortest format, called Twenty20) to several days (in the longest format, called Test cricket). The West Indies cricket team — which represents many Caribbean islands including Saint Lucia playing together — has produced some of the most brilliant cricketers in the history of the sport.
Cricket culture in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean is vibrant and social. A match is an occasion — people bring food, music and family. The Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet is Saint Lucia's main international cricket venue and has hosted matches between the world's top teams. Darren Sammy himself, a former West Indies captain, was born in Saint Lucia and is one of the island's greatest sporting heroes.
Young Saint Lucians often start playing cricket in school and on the beach using improvised equipment — a coconut branch for a bat, a tennis ball, and some tin cans for wickets. The game teaches teamwork, concentration, strategy and patience. Many children dream of playing for the West Indies one day, wearing the famous maroon cap.