The St Lucia Kings are set for an intriguing weekend as they host the Barbados Tridents on Sunday, having faced off against the St Kitts/Nevis Patriots on Friday.
Having lost their opening home match to the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, the Kings find themselves in a familiar position: securing their first win against the AB Falcons in St Vincent & the Grenadines, only to fall short in the following encounter.
With high hopes for a homecoming victory, the Kings took to the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on Wednesday. Unfortunately, they narrowly missed out on an expected win in a tense match that could have swung either way.
Batting first under challenging weather conditions, the Kings aimed to set a strong score for the Patriots to chase. However, the standout performances from 19-year-old Jewel Andrew and Kamil Pooran were key highlights for the Kings.
Sports pundits quickly noted that the Kings’ decision to bat first backfired, suggesting they should have opted to bowl after winning the toss. Posting a below-par score of 155/8, the Kings watched as the Patriots chased down the target with 156/5 in 17.4 overs, winning by five wickets with 14 balls to spare.
The clash was defined by the impressive efforts of SKN Patriots skipper Jason Holder and his seam partner Saurabh Netravalkar, who together claimed three wickets each. Andre Fletcher, leading the chase for the Patriots, scored an unbeaten 48 runs off 41 balls.
Reflecting on the match, Kings captain Roston Chase acknowledged they left “about 30 to 35 runs out there,” following their defeat in the CPL 2026 fixture. The Holder-Netravalkar partnership proved pivotal, as they combined to take six wickets for just 52 runs, contributing significantly to the Kings’ inability to set a competitive target.
Despite the loss of Andries Gous and Ackeem Auguste in the powerplay, Pooran and Andrew managed to propel the Kings to 57 runs. The duo put together an impressive third-wicket partnership of 82 runs in just 51 balls.
However, after Pooran’s dismissal for a solid 54 off 30 balls, the scoring rate began to slow. As pressure mounted, Holder struck again, dismissing both Charith Asalanka and Andrew, who scored 58 runs off 42 balls.
The Kings struggled in the later overs, managing only 22 runs in the final five, and thus their total fell short. While both teams had comparable powerplay outputs—57 for 2 for the Kings and 59 for 2 for the Patriots—the Patriots had a manageable target.
Following the initial wickets, Fletcher and the rest of the batting lineup successfully maintained the pace needed to secure their first victory of the tournament, while the Kings recorded a split of one win and one loss in their two outings.
As the Kings prepare for their next match, fans will be eagerly watching to see how their season unfolds.
[R.A].
