A sensational knock by Roston Chase, coupled with the pace bowling bravado of Alzarri Joseph and Obed McCoy ensured that the Saint Lucia Kings got back to winning ways on Thursday in the 2021 HERO Caribbean Premier League. Opponents Guyana Amazon Warriors were well beaten on the day at Warner Park in St.Kitts as the Kings managed a 51 run win.
Batting first, the Saint Lucia Kings had a new opening pair for this game as captain Faf Du Plessis partnered Andre Fletcher. The new combination however didn’t last long, as Fletcher was out caught in the deep trying to take on the bowling of Romario Shepherd.
Du Plessis too fell in the same over, leaving the Kings at 7/2 after two overs. New man Roston Chase however started off with a bang, and he hammered Hemraj Chandrapaul for two sixes either side of the wicket, getting off the mark in style.
The 29-year-old continued to plunder the opposition bowlers, welcoming the in-form Naveen-ul-Haq into the attack with two stylish fours. He then targeted the spin of Mohammad Hafeez, hitting him for a six down the ground to push the team score to 41 after the powerplay.
Imran Tahir’s introduction however prompted a more conservative approach from the Kings batters, as the three overs post the powerplay yielded 16 runs. Chase freed his arms against the spin of Gudakesh Motie, heaving one over mid-wicket to get his first fifty of the season.
His partner Mark Deyal though had to walk back when he tried to play an attacking shot, out caught in the deep. Chase though continued to remain solid, as he picked up a couple of boundaries down the wicket. New batter Tim David also started positively, plundering Tahir for a six over mid-wicket to get the team score to three figures.
In the 15th over, Chase picked up his fifth six of the innings- an inside out shot over deep cover. He followed that up with a straight six off Shepherd’s bowling, inching closer towards a first CPL century. Odean Smith however delivered the breakthrough for the Warriors, as he dismissed David and new man Samit Patel in his final over, leaving the Kings at 132/5 after 18 overs.
Chase’s valiant innings too came to an end in the next over, thanks to a stunning catch in the deep by Motie. The 29-year-old fell for a splendid 85 runs, off the back of which the Saint Lucia Kings ended their innings at 149/7.
Second Innings
The Saint Lucia Kings got off to an ideal start with the ball, as Obed McCoy picked up a wicket in his very first over, getting Hafeez caught behind off a well directed out swinger. Things got even better for the Kings as Alzarri Joseph ended his first over with a wicket, with Hemraj walking back for single figures.
McCoy struck again in his second over, enticing new man Shoaib Malik with a delivery outside the off stump which he nicked into the palms of the keeper. Shortly after, Kesrick Williams also got into the act for the bowling side, as Brandon King was out caught by backward point, leaving the Warriors at 16/4 after the powerplay.
Warriors captain Nicholas Pooran though wasn’t deterred by the scoreboard, as he took on Joseph, hitting him for a four and a six in the 7th over. That was followed up by four sixes in quick succession against the off-spin of Roston Chase and Mark Deyal to push the team score to 62/4 after 11 overs.
Disaster struck for the Warriors in the next over however, as Shimron Hetmyer was run out trying to complete a quick single. The wicket triggered another as new man Odean Smith was trapped plumb in front of the wicket by Kings upcoming spinner Jeavor Royal.
Things got even worse in the next over for the Warriors, as the well-set Pooran was out caught in the deep, thereby ending all hopes of his side’s attempts to chase down the target. With the tailenders out to bat, the Amazon Warriors lost two more wickets in the 15th over, as Royal picked up wickets in consecutive balls.
Odean Smith provided some late fireworks for the Warriors, getting a couple of maximums off McCoy’s penultimate over, but it was to be too little too late. Kesrick Williams ended things on the day, as a well directed slower ball proved to be too good for Imran Tahir, who was knocked over with his franchise 51 runs short of the target.
Brief Scorecard
Saint Lucia Kings: 149/7 (Roston Chase 85, Romario Shepherd 3/21)
Beat
Guyana Amazon Warriors: 98/10 (Nicholas Pooran 41, Jeavor Royal 3/19)
