Holder and company sink Royals’ resistance

The Barbados Royals slumped to another defeat, falling 12 runs short against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on Thursday night in front of a packed crowd at Warner Park. Both teams entered the match needing a win to kick-start their campaigns.

Having won the toss and opting to bowl first, the Royals struck early, bagging three wickets in the powerplay for just 46 runs on what is considered a small ground and an excellent batting surface. A middle-order 49-run partnership between Barbadian pair Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers breathed new life into the Patriots’ innings, steadying the ship and setting up a potential push from the lower order towards a respectable total. Mayers finished on 42, while Holder contributed 38.

Fifty runs in the final five overs, including a 17-run last over, propelled the home side to 174 for 8 after their 20 overs. Breakout league player Ramon Simmonds impressed with the ball, returning figures of 3 for 26—an excellent performance given the batting-friendly conditions at Warner Park.

In reply, the Royals reached 49 for 2 after the powerplay, with the game swinging back and forth from that point. A quickfire 42 off just 24 balls from Kadeem Alleyne and a valuable 21 from captain Rovman Powell threatened to snatch victory for the Men in Pink. However, wickets in quick succession—led by Holder and supported by his fellow bowlers—sealed the win for the Patriots. Holder was named Man of the Match for his all-round exploits, adding 4 wickets for just 14 runs to his contribution to winning.

The Royals will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to face the Saint Lucia Kings at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on Sunday night.