Kingsmen face Kings roadblock

St Lucia Kings completed their home leg of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a six-wicket victory over the Jamaica Kingsmen at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.

Kamil Pooran’s unbeaten 81 and Matthew Forde’s five-wicket haul ensured the Kings gave their fans a complete performance as the CPL bid farewell to St Lucia for another season. Obus Pienaar, making his first start of the season, shared an unbroken 57-run partnership with Pooran to guide the hosts home.

Forde lit up the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground with a scintillating three-over spell inside the PowerPlay, claiming four wickets and leaving the Kingsmen’s top order in tatters. Usman Khan offered some resistance in the opening overs with a cameo of 28 from 11 balls before becoming Forde’s second victim.

Just one ball later, Forde struck again as captain Rovman Powell looked to run the ball down to third man but instead found Maheesh Theekshana. A delivery that struck Hassan Khan on the pads and trickled into the off side was initially given not out by the umpire. However, Forde was adamant that captain Roston Chase send the decision upstairs, and he was proved right as Khan was trapped plumb in front.

The wickets continued to tumble as Joshua Bishop and Theekshana joined the attack. Shadley van Schalkwyk had earlier claimed the first wicket of the innings. Keacy Carty watched partners come and go but remained at the crease, proving to be the backbone of the Kingsmen’s innings. His half-century was crucial in giving the Jamaican side a platform from which to build a competitive total. His eventual dismissal handed Forde his five-for, but the seamer had already put his stamp on the contest.

Andre Russell and Odean Smith contributed 52 runs between them as they partnered with Carty, though not together. The Kingsmen did well to reach 169 for nine, but the steady fall of wickets left them short of what appeared a competitive score on a good batting surface.

The Kings appeared to have learned lessons from their previous matches and adopted a more measured approach. Having seen the Kingsmen lose early wickets in clusters, they opted for conservative tactics and finished the PowerPlay below 40 runs for the first time in the competition.

Despite some tidy bowling from Vitel Lawes and Hunain Shah, the Kings stayed within striking distance throughout the chase. There was a sense that as long as Pooran remained at the crease, the Kings were in control. When Pienaar arrived at number six, Pooran found a dependable partner. Pienaar frequently found the boundary while displaying the same controlled aggression as his teammate.

The penultimate over proved decisive for the visitors as the Kings required a run a ball from the final two overs. After taking two from the first delivery, Pooran launched a full toss into the stands for six before Hunain lost his radar and fired the ball well down the leg side for five wides, sealing victory for the Kings.