PROVIDENCE, Guyana – St Lucia Kings celebrated their first-ever Caribbean Premier League (CPL) championship after an exciting six-wicket conquer defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday at Windfall Stadium.
Roston Chase and Aaron Jones had been the heroes of the evening, combining for a pivotal partnership that noticed the Kings get well from a precarious place at 51 for 4 to comfortably chase down the goal of 139 with 11 balls to spare. Chase, named Participant of the Match, performed a relaxed and composed innings, ending unbeaten on 39, whereas Jones dominated the scoring with a match-winning 48 not out.
Earlier, Kings’ skipper Faf du Plessis opted to bowl first, a choice that paid dividends. The Warriors’ prime order struggled to adapt to the sluggish pitch, as left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad ripped by their line-up, taking three wickets for simply 19 runs. The Kings’ disciplined bowling efficiency stored Guyana on the again foot all through the innings, proscribing them to 138 for eight of their allotted 20 overs.
Guyana’s troubles
Guyana’s troubles started virtually instantly when opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a duck off the second ball, caught by du Plessis at mid-on. Partnerships had been onerous to come back by as Moeen Ali and Shai Hope labored for runs throughout a gradual 33-run stand. Hope was bowled by Chase for 22, and Ahmad’s spin additional dented Guyana’s center order, as key batsmen like Shimron Hetmyer (11) and Kevin Sinclair (11) struggled to make an impression.
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With wickets falling at common intervals, Guyana turned to Romario Shepherd (19 not out) and Dwaine Pretorius (25) for late fireworks, however their contributions weren’t sufficient to set a formidable goal. Ahmad’s three-wicket haul, together with regular assist from Alzarri Joseph and Matthew Forde, stored the Warriors below management.
St Lucia’s reply began cautiously, with du Plessis and Johnson Charles managing 23 runs within the first 4 overs. However Guyana’s bowlers struck again rapidly, dismissing Charles (7) and du Plessis (21) in brief succession. Additional stress mounted because the Kings misplaced Ackeem Auguste (7) and Tim Seifert (3), leaving them reeling at 51 for 4 on the midway mark.
At that stage, it appeared the momentum was swinging in favor of the Warriors. Nonetheless, Chase and Jones regularly rebuilt the innings with endurance and precision. The sport’s turning level got here within the sixteenth over when the pair launched a ferocious assault on Moeen Ali, smashing him for 27 runs, together with three sixes and two boundaries. This decisive over drastically lowered the required run charge and put the Kings again in management.
Aggressive method
With the goal now in sight, Jones and Chase continued their aggressive method, taking 20 runs from Pretorius’ subsequent over, together with two extra sixes from Jones. Needing simply 19 runs from the final three overs, the duo completed the sport swiftly, with Jones smashing Shepherd for a six and a 4 to all however seal the victory.
Fittingly, the match ended with a large from Imran Tahir, permitting the Kings to rejoice their maiden CPL title. Chase remained unbeaten on 39 from 22 balls, whereas Jones’ highly effective 48 not out, laced with 4 sixes and two boundaries, ensured the Kings’ historic win.
Ahmad’s wonderful efficiency with the ball earned him the Participant of the Collection award, nevertheless it was the cool-headed partnership between Chase and Jones that made the evening unforgettable for St Lucia Kings, crowning them champions for the very first time.
