The Saint Lucia Kings wrapped up the home leg of this year’s Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League with yet another win this Sunday. This victory marks three on the trot for the Boys in Blue. The fixture was played in front of a strong crowd at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, with the Johnson Charles Grand Stand completely filled by the end of the match.
The game saw the much-anticipated return of Alzarri Joseph to the playing XI after injury, along with Delano Potgieter. The Kings won the toss and chose to chase – a typical decision at this venue. The Boys in Blue were put under pressure early in the powerplay as openers Jewel Andrew and Amir Jangoo combined for 51 runs in the first six overs.
As soon as the fielding restrictions were lifted, the previous game’s Man of the Match Tabraiz Shamsi made his mark. The left-arm wrist spinner was on a hat-trick after his first two deliveries, removing Andrew and in-form batter Karima Gore in quick succession.
In the middle overs, it was the Shakib Al Hasan show. The veteran from Bangladesh smashed a stunning 20-ball half-century, showcasing elite ball-striking and placement. Al Hasan and Jangoo put together 91 runs for the third wicket, with Jangoo also reaching his fifty. After Al Hasan fell to Potgieter, Fabian Allen added an unbeaten 38 to lift the visitors to 204-4.
To secure victory, the Kings would need to break their record for the highest-ever successful chase in CPL history. As usual, openers Tim Seifert and Johnson Charles gave the Boys in Blue a fiery start. Charles fell for 17 off just nine balls, but Seifert carried on the charge. He raced to the fastest half-century of this year’s CPL and powered the Kings to their highest-ever powerplay score of 92.
Seifert wasn’t done there. He went on to register his maiden CPL hundred off just 40 deliveries, the fastest century in CPL history. His blistering knock, worth an unbeaten 125 in the end, and supported by valuable contributions from Tim David and Potgieter, saw the defending champions home by six wickets with 2.1 overs to spare.
The Boys in Blue are in joint first place with the Trinbago Knight Riders on 10 points at the top of the table. TKR are ahead by net run rate, with a game in hand. Sammy’s men will hope to move from strength to strength and qualify for yet another playoff berth and potentially back-to-back titles.
