St Lucia Kings claimed their first-ever Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title in a thrilling final against Guyana Amazon Warriors on October 6, 2024, at the New Providence Stadium. The Kings secured a six-wicket victory, chasing down the target of 139 runs with 11 balls to spare.
Guyana Amazon Warriors’ Struggles with the Bat:
After losing the toss, Guyana Amazon Warriors were sent in to bat. Their innings started on a rough note, as Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a duck in the first over, caught by Faf du Plessis off Khary Pierre. Shai Hope attempted to steady the innings, contributing 22 runs off 24 balls before being bowled by Roston Chase.
Moeen Ali, despite a cautious start, managed 14 runs from 20 balls before being caught off Noor Ahmad’s bowling. The Warriors found themselves struggling at 45/3 by the 9th over, with partnerships hard to come by. Shimron Hetmyer and Kevin Sinclair chipped in with 11 runs each, but their dismissals left the team in trouble.
Keemo Paul and Raymon Reifer tried to add some stability, but could not convert their starts. Paul was dismissed after scoring 12, and Reifer fell lbw to Noor Ahmad for 13. The Warriors were 88/6 at one stage, but Dwaine Pretorius and Romario Shepherd provided a late resurgence. Pretorius hammered 25 off 12 balls, while Shepherd added 19 off just 9 balls. Their efforts helped Guyana Amazon Warriors post a total of 138/8 in 20 overs.
Noor Ahmad was the standout bowler for St Lucia Kings, finishing with impressive figures of 3/19 from his four overs. Matthew Forde and David Wiese also picked up important wickets to limit the Warriors’ scoring.
St Lucia Kings’ Chase
St Lucia Kings began their chase of 139 runs but faced early setbacks. Johnson Charles was bowled by Romario Shepherd for just 7 runs. Captain Faf du Plessis provided some stability with 21 runs off 21 balls but was caught behind off Moeen Ali’s bowling.
Ackeem Auguste followed soon after, managing 13 runs before being bowled by Kevin Sinclair. With the Kings struggling at 49/3 by the ninth over, the match hung in balance.
However, Roston Chase and Aaron Jones formed a crucial partnership that turned the tide in St Lucia Kings’ favor. Chase played an attacking innings, scoring 39 off 22 balls, including two fours and two sixes. Aaron Jones anchored the chase with an unbeaten 48 off 31 balls, smashing four sixes along the way.
Their 88-run unbeaten partnership took the Kings to victory in 18.1 overs, finishing the match with 11 balls to spare.
Bowling Efforts from the Warriors:
For Guyana Amazon Warriors, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Moeen Ali, and Dwaine Pretorius each took a wicket, but they couldn’t prevent the Kings from completing a comfortable chase. The Warriors’ bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs in the middle and final overs, allowing the Kings to seal the win.
