Defending champions Saint Lucia Kings sit alone atop the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League points table, after a comprehensive win over the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots on Thursday night. The hometown Kings won by seven wickets with 18 balls remaining at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. Tabraiz Shamsi celebrated his 300th T20 in style, and Tim Seifert’s career high led the winners with the bat.
Kings captain David Wiese won the toss and decided to field. Much as had been the case on Tuesday in their win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors, the hosts appeared to be well on top of the game for long stretches. They held their opponents to 57-1 in the powerplay, and the Patriots were just 75-2 at the halfway mark of their innings.
Up to the end of the 13th over, the Patriots were going at just 7.07 runs per over. Shamsi allowed only nine runs from two overs, but he was replaced by Oshane Thomas. The burly Jamaican had allowed 33 runs in an over against Guyana, and on Thursday, he delivered four wides in an over that produced 22 runs, a swing in favour of the batting side.
Shamsi remained brilliant, allowing just eight in his next two overs, and taking a second wicket. But captain David Wiese gave up 17 in one over, and Keon Gaston 32 in two. The Patriots reached 177-3, Mohammad Rizwan hitting an unbeaten 60 from 21 balls. Former Kings man Andre Fletcher Andre Fletcher scored 37 from 23 deliveries.
Chasing 178 to win, Johnson Charles laid a rock-solid foundation for the Kings’ chase with a knock of 47 off just 17 balls, leaving the champs 85-1 after 6.5 overs. At the end of six overs, they had been 72 without loss, well ahead of the Patriots at the same stage.
But Johno’s momentum was matched by his opening partner, man of the moment “Bam Bam” Seifert. He carried on to 68, his biggest score ever in 44 CPL innings. The 30-year-old New Zealander, in his second season with the Kings, faced 45 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes for his third CPL 50. He also moved past 900 runs in the League.
The hero on Tuesday, Ackeem Auguste just played a cameo against the Patriots. Coming in after Charles, he hit 29 from 20 balls, including four fours and a six. Tim David and Roston Chase finished things off with a 25-run partnership that used up just 14 balls.
A clinical run chase after a solid fielding effort did the double for the Kings over the Patriots. The title holders will close out their home stand with a Sunday morning tilt against the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, whom they deposed for first place.
