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GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC):
Quick-fire fifties from Johnson Charles and Faf du Plessis powered the Saint Lucia Kings to a dominant five-wicket victory over the struggling St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the 14th match of the Caribbean Premier League at the Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Chasing 174, the Kings reached the target comfortably in 16.3 overs, thanks to Charles’s blistering 74 off 42 balls (four fours, seven sixes) and a 115-run opening partnership with du Plessis, who smashed 62 off 31 balls (five fours, five sixes). The six-wicket victory, achieved with 21 balls to spare, boosted the Kings’ net run rate and propelled them to third place on the points table.
Du Plessis set the tone early, finding the boundary off Kyle Mayers in the first over before Charles launched two massive sixes off Johann Layne. The onslaught intensified as du Plessis hammered two fours off Mayers and followed it up with two towering sixes off Veerasammy Permaul.
Charles weighed in, dispatching Permaul for a boundary, as the Kings reached 50 inside just four overs. The carnage continued, with du Plessis launching Anrich Nortje for a six and Charles smashing Layne for two more maximums, propelling the Kings to 72 without loss at the end of the powerplay.
During the onslaught, Charles became the first player to surpass 3,000 runs in CPL history. Not to be outdone, Du Plessis brought up his 25-ball 50 with back-to-back sixes off Permaul.
The Kings stormed past 100 runs in under nine overs, marking their first 100-run opening stand since 2019. By the halfway mark, the Kings were firmly in control, sitting at 113 without loss with just 61 needed from the final 10 overs.
Charles soon reached his half-century in 33 balls, but the opening stand was broken when du Plessis nicked a wide delivery from Josh Clarkson to the wicketkeeper. Tim Seifert made a quick impact with a six and a four off Tabraiz Shamsi, but his innings was cut short by Clarkson for 13.
In the same over, Charles continued his assault, hammering two more sixes. However, his brilliant innings finally ended when Wanindu Hasaranga had him caught for 74.
Hasaranga also removed Sadrack Descarte, but it was too late to stop the Kings’ momentum as Roston Chase sealed the win with a boundary in the 17th over.
Earlier, the Patriots got off to a solid start after being asked to take first strike. Andre Fletcher led the charge with two sixes and four fours in the powerplay, while Evin Lewis chipped in with a couple of boundaries.
The duo helped the Patriots to 50 inside the first six overs. Descarte broke the opening stand when Lewis cut straight to point and was out caught for 15, and though Mayers struck a four and a six off Descarte, he was bowled by Chase soon after for 17.
Rilee Rossouw joined Fletcher and hit a six in the same over, guiding the Patriots to 82-2 at the halfway mark.
The pair added 70 runs for the third wicket, with Rossouw taking the lead, blasting a six off Noor Ahmad to take the Patriots past the 100 mark in the 13th over.
Fletcher soon reached his 50 off 40 balls, but a couple of quiet overs left the Patriots at 112-2 after 15 overs. Rossouw reignited the innings with two sixes off Descarte, followed by another off Alzarri Joseph, but Fletcher was dismissed in the same over for a top score of 62.
Rossouw also fell after reaching his 30-ball 59, caught off David Wiese. Wiese bowled a wayward penultimate over, conceding several wides and a six to Mikyle Louis.
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