77
By Rawle Toney
The Barbados Royals suffered their third defeat in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), falling short 90 runs of the target set by the St. Lucia Kings at the Kensington Oval on a Saturday evening.
Choosing to field after winning the toss, the Royals bowlers faced a relentless onslaught from the Kings, who amassed a formidable 195/6, while the home side folded for 105 in reply.
It was the second win for the Kings over the Royals in this year’s CPL, following their 54-run win on August 17 in St Lucia.
The chief architect of the St Lucian side’s batting onslaught at the “Mecca” was Johnson Charles, who blazed his way to an entertaining 78, comprising six fours and five sixes in just 52 balls.
His spirited innings finally came to an end in the 16th over, courtesy of a delivery from Jason Holder.
Charles and Colin Munroe built a solid 97-run partnership before Munroe became Roelof van der Merwe’s first victim of the night, one of his three wickets.
The Kings’ innings received a late boost from Roshon Primus, who contributed a quick-fire 19, and Captain Sikandar Raza, the replacement for South African Faf du Plessis, added 18 runs, propelling them to their substantial total.
Intermittent showers briefly interrupted the match, providing a welcome respite from the intense heat at the venue.
At the time of the rain delay, the Royals had only managed to score two runs and had already lost Kyle Myers, who was dismissed for a golden duck, courtesy of Matthew Forde’s bowling.
Upon the resumption of play, the Kings regained their dominance with the ball, stifling the Royals’ batters.
Alzarri Joseph, Roshon Primus, and Australian Peter Hatzoglou were particularly effective, each claiming two wickets.
Rahkeem Cornwall and Holder both contributed identical scores of 18 at the crease. However, the highest score of the night for the Royals came from Nyeem Young, who managed 20 runs from 31 deliveries.
Roelof van der Merwe’s 11 was the only other glimmering spot in the Royals’ innings.
Next up for the Royals is an all-important clash today with the Patriots, the only team that is yet to pick up a win.
The Patriots’ 98-run defeat to the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday, was their fifth consecutive for the 2021 winners are yet to pick up a ‘W’.
