The 2022 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) marks the tenth edition of the swashbuckling cricketing extravaganza.
Saint Lucia Kings finished as finalists in the last two seasons and will be looking to better their performance this season and bring the trophy home. And there are plenty of reasons for the fans to believe that the team will be victorious this time.
Led by South African veteran Faf du Plessis, Saint Lucia Kings’ batting department has an abundance of riches. The batting prowess includes the explosive duo of Johnson Charles, Roshon Primus, Roston Chase, Tim David and Mark Deyal.
In the bowling department, Scott Kuggeleijn and Alzarri Joseph will be looking to pick up early wickets, while Jeavor Royal will look to rise to newer heights.
Saint Lucia’s roster of all-rounders means they can switch bowing options easily, giving captain Faf du Plessis lots of options to conserve runs and pick timely wickets in bowling. While batting, they provide valuable flexibility in the batting order.
The international experience of Roston Chase, Faf du Plessis, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim David and Alzarri Joseph should provide leadership and act as a platform for emerging players Ackeem Auguste, Rivaldo Clarke and Matthew Forde.
The squad will also rely on the leadership and the shrewd cricketing mind of captain Faf du Plessis and his tactical outlook.
Performance in the 6ixty
The CPL 2022 was preceded by the inaugural 6ixty tournament. The competition gave the players some crucial game time prior to the CPL 2022.
Roshon Primus was the star for Saint Lucia Kings in the 6ixty. Primus scored 101 runs for the Kings in the three games, displaying his explosive batting abilities. The right-handed hitter got off to a great start in the tournament with an amazing knock of 41 off 23 balls against the Guyana Amazon Warriors. His 25-ball 48 against the Jamaica Tallawahs helped Saint Lucia win the game with ease.
Furthermore, Roshon Primus also finished as the joint second-highest run-scorer of 6ixty in the group stage, despite the Kings’ not qualifying for the knockout rounds.
Primus also contributed with the ball in addition to dominating with the bat to help the Kings defeat the Jamaica Tallawahs.
Johnson Charles, who opened the innings for the Kings in the 6ixty, was another excellent performer. In two games, he scored 60 runs while hitting five enormous sixes and four fours. The batting wicketkeeper looks to be in excellent form, and it is expected that he will continue this trend into the CPL.
Jeavor Royal snared four wickets for the Kings and ended as the joint-highest wicket-taker of the group stage of the 6ixty, while Scott Kuggeleijn and Matthew Forde also chipped in with crucial wickets.
These in-form players promise to be vital cogs in Saint Lucia’s machine in the CPL.
Last season’s stars
In the 2021 CPL season, Roston Chase was the top batsman, finishing the competition with the most runs scored. Chase managed an astounding average of 49.55 and a strike rate of 144.33 while scoring 446 runs in just 12 innings.
In fact, three of the top four batters were from the SLK in the previous season.
Faf du Plessis (277 runs) was in the fourth position, preceded by Tim David (282 runs). This bodes well for the team, particularly, as run-scoring is often the biggest parameter for victory in T20.
Last season, Jeavor Royal was the highest wicket-taker for the franchise. He picked up 12 wickets in nine matches, while David Wiese and Kesrick Williams picked up 11 wickets each.
With a squad made up of leadership, experience, a strong batting lineup and a potent attack, the well-rounded Saint Lucia Kings are in good stead ahead of their next challenge and will be expected to go all the way in CPL 2022.
The Saint Lucia Kings start their CPL campaign on September 1 against Trinbago Knight Riders.
Click here to see the full schedule: St.Lucia Kings CPL Schedule
