Saint Lucia Kings Win Their First CPL Title

In a thrilling finale of the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Saint Lucia Kings emerged victorious, claiming their first-ever CPL title by defeating Guyana Amazon Warriors. Despite a challenging target of 138 runs, Aaron Jones and Roston Chase stepped up, putting on a stellar partnership that secured a remarkable win for the Kings at Providence Stadium, Guyana.

Guyana’s struggles

Guyana Amazon Warriors won the toss and chose to bat first on what turned out to be a sluggish pitch, making run-scoring difficult. Star opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had been in superb form throughout the tournament, fell for a duck, mistiming a full toss from Khary Pierre straight to mid-on in the very first over.

By the end of the powerplay, Guyana had managed only 27/1, setting a negative tone for the rest of the innings. Hope’s attempt to consolidate was short-lived as he played on to the stumps from a Roston Chase delivery, departing for 22 off 24 balls. Shimron Hetmyer added a brief spark with a six off Chase, but the pressure was too much. Moeen Ali fell shortly after to a brilliant delivery by Noor Ahmad, and Guyana continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. The consistent fall of wickets saw them slump to 49/3 at the halfway mark.

The Amazon Warriors’ batting was largely stifled by Saint Lucia’s effective bowling, especially Noor Ahmad and Khary Pierre. Despite this, some late fireworks from Romario Shepherd and Dwaine Pretorius salvaged Guyana’s innings. The pair combined to smash 36 runs in the last two overs, with Shepherd clearing the boundary ropes to give the Warriors a somewhat competitive total of 138. However, this effort still appeared under par on a tricky pitch.

Saint Lucia Kings’ shaky start

The Saint Lucia Kings’ chase didn’t get off to the best of starts either. Despite an experienced top order featuring Faf du Plessis and Johnson Charles, the Kings struggled to get going. Charles was dismissed early by Romario Shepherd, who bowled him for 7 off 10.

Faf du Plessis, a stalwart of the T20 format, hit a six off Moeen Ali but was dismissed for a run-a-ball 21. With Ackeem Auguste bowled by Kevin Sinclair and Tim Seifert trapped lbw by Dwaine Pretorius, the Kings were left reeling at 51/4 at the 10-over mark.

Enter Roston Chase and Aaron Jones. The two were struggling at first, unable to find boundaries on a slow pitch that kept the required run rate soaring. But cricket, as we know, is a game of fine margins. With 66 runs needed from the final 30 balls, something had to give and it did.

Chase and Jones decided to take the attack to Moeen Ali in the 16th over, changing the course of the match. Jones opened the onslaught with a six, and Chase followed up with two massive sixes and a couple of boundaries. This 27-run over dramatically shifted the momentum, with the Kings now very much in the hunt.

Game-Changing Over

With the partnership exceeding 50 runs, and the equation coming down to 19 needed off 18 balls, Jones further upped the ante. He smashed two sixes and a four off Pretorius in the 17th over, bringing the Kings to the brink of victory. The game, which once looked firmly in Guyana’s hands, was now almost sealed for the Kings.

This victory marks a monumental moment for Saint Lucia Kings. Having previously come close on multiple occasions, their maiden CPL title will go down in the history books. Captain Faf du Plessis’ leadership, coupled with the explosive performances of Chase and Jones, ensured that the Kings lifted their first-ever trophy.

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