St. Lucia’s reigning triple crown calypso monarch, Herb Black, was Digicel’s special guest at the toss for the Third Digicel One Day International at the Beausejour Cricket Ground on Friday.

Black said he was thrilled to join West Indies captain, Chris Gayle, and Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, for the coin toss to start the Third Digicel ODI in St. Lucia, which was eventually interrupted by rain on multiple occasions. After it was reduced to a 27 over a side affair, the Windies set a fighting total of 185 for 7.

Herb Black, the St Lucian calypso legend whose real name is Anthony Sylvester Lewis, is the reigning Calypso Monarch and Groovy Monarch and was also the winner of the People’s Choice Award in 2008. He is set to defend his crowns at the upcoming competition during St Lucia Carnival.

“I’m a cricket fanatic and I am really thrilled to meet the guys from both West Indies and India, it is such an honor,” said an appreciative Black.

“I always come to Beausejour to watch cricket and when the team is playing away from St. Lucia, I follow them on television. This is my team and I am so glad to be out here on the field with them,” said the Rastafarian calypsonian after the toss.

An emotional Black said that he will be using the experience as inspiration to retain his Groovy and Calypso crowns for the St. Lucia Carnival. The final of the Groovy Monarch will be contested on Saturday evening, between the Third and Fourth Digicel ODIs, while the final of Calypso Monarch is slated for July 18th.

Black, a resident of Anse La Raye, is a veteran St. Lucian calypsonian and has been a member of the Take Over Tent since 1986.

Black also recently released his first album titled “Calypso Jail”, named after one of his most popular songs.