Leeward Islands were 96 runs ahead with three second-innings wickets in hand when Louis was struck on the helmet by a ball which reared sharply from a good length. He was felled by the ball and slapped the pitch in frustration, before jumping to his feet and booting his helmet towards square leg.
Louis then received medical attention before he was stretchered off and taken to hospital in an ambulance. After a lengthy delay, which involved consultation with groundstaff and match referee Johnathan Blades, umpires Leslie Reifer and Zahid Bassarath informed captains Joshua Da Silva and Justin Greaves that the match had been abandoned.
Leewards coach Wilden Cornwall said that it was “devastating” to see Louis stretchered off. “He’s in the hospital at the moment,” he told CWI’s live stream. “I just hope that everything goes well for him and [there is] no really serious damage. It was really devastating to see exactly what took place this morning.” CWI said in a statement later on Tuesday that Louis was “reported to be in stable condition”.
Cornwall said he “had my doubts” about conditions from the first morning and suggested that the pitch had been under-prepared. “To me, it wasn’t given the preparation of a four-day wicket, hence we see so many players get damaged… The pitch has been misbehaving throughout the entire three days,” he said.
Seales had taken all seven wickets to fall in Leewards’ second innings, in addition to three in their first innings. In his first over of the third morning, Seales had one-cap Test keeper Jahmar Hamilton caught at second slip after a ball reared up to hit his glove, three balls after striking the towering allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall on the shoulder with a bouncer.
Trinidad and Tobago coach Rayad Emrit said it was “very disappointing” to see the game abandoned and questioned why it took until the third morning for the decision to be taken. “To be blatantly honest, the bounce has been inconsistent throughout the two-and-a-half days,” he said. “For me, if that’s the decision, they should have made it on day one.”
CWI said in a statement: “Following discussions with the curator, it was determined [by the umpires] that the pitch could not be safely repaired without creating an unfair advantage and was therefore deemed unfit to resume, resulting in the match being abandoned as a draw.
“Both teams will be awarded points earned up until the abandonment of the contest in accordance with the championship’s playing conditions. “
The West Indies Championship has been significantly pared back this year after CWI reported a $28.5 million loss for 2025 in its financial statements. Each of the six domestic teams will play three group matches, with the group-stage leaders playing against a West Indies Academy side before facing the winner of a second vs third play-off.
The board’s statement added: “CWI further advises that no matches are scheduled at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium until the Championship Final, set for May 17-20, and confirms that all necessary resources and expertise will be deployed to ensure the preparation of a safe and competitive playing surface for that fixture.
“It is also important to note that the surface used for the Leeward Islands vs Trinidad and Tobago match is one of six pitches available at the venue and differs from the one used for match one of the Guyana vs Windward Islands series.
“CWI will continue to prioritise player safety while ensuring the highest standards of pitch preparation and match operations across all venues.”
Matt Roller is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
